In this paper, the social status of female artists is analyzed based on three biographical novels. These are the biographical novels Dora and the Minotaur: My Life with Picasso of photographer and painter Dora Maar, Frida, or About Pain of painter Frida Kahlo and White Nettle of painter Slava Raškaj. The author of the first two works is Slavenka Drakulić, while White Nettle is by Nada Iveljić. To better understand the position of the mentioned artists, the difficult situation of female artists throughout history is presented, based on the work A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf. The position of female artists in Croatia is also discussed, relying on the research findings of Jasenka Kodrnja. Before analyzing the biographical novels themselves, it was important to explain the difference between a biography and a biographical novel, a distinction made primarily based on the works and interviews of theorist Michael Lackey, along with several scientific papers. The analysis of the three biographical novels showed that the lives and careers of these three artists share many common features. Specifically, all three were very talented but not sufficiently appreciated. Other factors, such as illness and financial dependency, further complicated their position in society and artistic circles. The key link among all three artists are their relationships with famous painters (Pablo Picasso, Diego Rivera, and Bela Čikoš Sesija), in whose shadows they lived throughout their lives, and today they are primarily known as their partners, and only secondarily as artists.