They’re Abstract Expressionism, the uniquely American school of art that dominated the 1950’s and 1960’s. Sometimes called The New York School, works such as these are much coveted by collectors and museums. And, big surprise, they were painted by women. “So what?” you say. Let me explain.

Those big canvases by Joan Mitchell and Lee Krasner are part of a uniquely American movement, sometimes called Action Art. Their size accommodates the grand and vigorous gestures of the artist as the swirling, swooping lines and forms are created. The artist’s entire body is employed and that takes muscle. This was a field dominated by men because, most critics believed, no mere woman could wield a brush in the heroic manner of a Willem de Kooning or a Jackson Pollack.

Of course you don’t need to care about the technique to appreciate the paintings. Just go to the gallery. Sit down and look at the bright, cheerful Joan Mitchell, a landscape. Drink in the colors, the grace of the lines and forms. Think of gardens or mountain meadows filled with wild flowers.

Then turn to the Lee Krasner. (She was Jackson Pollack’s wife, you know, but always worked in the shadow of his fame and talent.) It is called Polar Stampede and its energy seems to leap off the canvas. Imagine reindeer on the tundra, their fear, the flying snow, their thudding hoofs and the blur of their hides.

If you believe you don’t like abstract art, a few minutes carefully studying these two works may change your thinking. Go back to the gallery. Take your time. Clear your mind and relax in their presence.