Stories from Classical mythology have pervaded European culture. Read's work addresses how myths reflect, reinforce and influence gender ideologies. She interprets and retells mythology from a feminist perspective by creating detailed, realistic, yet stylized, figurative oil paintings on canvas. Some paintings feature models that portray characters from Classical Greek mythology with contemporary attributes. Read has recently focused on painting sculptures from Hellenistic Greece through the Neoclassical movement. She views and paints these retellings of myth through a feminist lens and pairs them with contextualized images of flowers that together reflect themes about gender politics, such as gender inequity and violence against women.