Today I thought I would see how far back I could go to find a female artist. I found some from the 12th century. Most women artist did Tapestry in this era and artist/painters were found in Nunneries or within the church. The one I have found info on is a lady called Herrad of Landsberg also Herrad of Hohenburg (c. 1130-July 25, 1195), was the 12th-century Alsatian nun and abbess of Hohenburg Abbey in the Vosges mountains of France. She is known as the author and artist of the pictorial encyclopedia Hortus Deliciarum (The Garden of Delights), a remarkable encyclopedic text used by abbesses, nuns, and laywomen alike. It brought together both past scholarship and contemporary thought that rivaled the texts used by male monasteries. Many of her ideas have been found to have a modern appreciation. Herrad was a contemporary of several other remarkable women, including Hildegard of Bingen (1098-1179), Heloise (1101-1162), Eleanor of Aquitaine (1124-1204), and Claire of Assisi (1194-1253). She is considered a pioneer in the field of women's education and art. There is Mor information on this web site if you are interested in the women from this periond

http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Herrad_of_Landsberg

 Herrad of Landsberg Self-portrait from Hortus deliciarum, ca. 1180

 The three Magi