Even as women artists were making progress in the United States, they had difficulty studying in Europe. Many of the famous and state-run academies, such as the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris, actively excluded women until the late 19th century, and many of the only opportunities available were through privately run, less prestigious art schools or ateliers of artists.[1] Women who chose to travel overseas typically studied the works of master artists in the galleries, not in classes. [citation needed]