The novels listed below are about historical women artists. Unless otherwise noted, all of them were painters. (There are lots more novels to read that involve characters who are artists or where art is a central part of the plot.)
Also, you can see that this list is Eurocentric. I haven’t found English-language historical fiction about artists from other cultures. There’s a niche waiting to be filled! (I’d love to see a novelization of the fascinating life of Indian artist Amrita Sher-Gil, for instance.)
16th century
Lady in Ermine, Donna DiGiuseppe
The Creation of Eve, Lynn Cullen
Unfinished: The Inspired Life of Elisabetta Sirani, Kelly Evans
The Passion of Artemisia, Susan Vreeland
17th century
A Light of Her Own, Carrie Callaghan
18th century
The Portraitist: A Novel of Adélaïde Labille-Guiard, Susanne Dunlap
Adélaïde, Bridget Quinn
The Fountain of St. James Court, Sena Jeter Naslund
19th century
Ophelia’s Muse, Rita Cameron
Renoir’s Dancer: The Secret Life of Suzanne Valadon, Catherine Hewitt
Paris Red, Maureen Gibson
Victorine, Drēma Drudge
Rodin’s Lover, Heather Webb (sculptor)
I Always Loved You, Robin Oliveira
La Luministe, Paula Butterfield
20th century
The Beautiful American, Jeanne Mackin
The Age of Light, Whitney Scharer (photography)
Leonora in the Morning Light, Michaela Carter
The Forest Lover, Susan Vreeland
Eight Girls Taking Pictures, Whitney Otto (stories based on photographers)