Gender
Statistics show that only 1 in 10 artists in Europe and North America are women. This statistic is surprising because 63% of undergraduates and 66% of postgraduates in creative arts and design are women. For most of history, the majority of artists and representations were male-orientated. From the 16th to the 19th centuries, women weren’t allowed to study the nude model, which at this time, was the basis of academic training in the arts. It wasn’t until after numerous petitions around the late 18th to 19th century, that women were accepted to do so. It was during this time that art was mainly dominated by the study of the human form. Londons Royal Academy of art accidentally accepted their first female artist in 1960, because she had submitted her application under her initials LH. Unlike the LRA, the Bauhaus accepted women, but they were directed towards a more craft-orientated path with mediums like embroideries and tapestries, which were considered decorative pieces rather than art.
When women were finally able to create more traditionally artistic works, they were considered less important and were often overlooked, meaning they were less-well maintained. As a result, these works would be less likely to survive over time in art collections over many generations. This has made it more difficult for museums and galleries to acquire works created by women. Ultimately, a cycle was created where contemporary art is monetised by using historically famous male artists to attract consumers, meaning that if women were never given recognition to begin with, they will be less likely to be used in the same way in more recent times.
In the last 10 years, the total sales of Arts at auction have amounted to roughly $200 Billion, with $4 Billion, or 2% of the sales being work made by women, half of which were by the same 5 artists. Socially and culturally, there is a shift towards equality and opportunity for women and this influences galleries and art makers to change the landscape for future generations.
Cupid & Psyche by Annie Swynnerton (1890)
Julia Halperin (26th December 2019) The art market has transformed over the last decade, Available at: https://news.artnet.com/market/artnet-price-database-most-searched-artists-1738449 (Accessed: 25th February 2021)
Timothy Wilcox (21st August 2017) Laura Knight becomes the first woman elected at RA, Available at: https://chronicle250.com/1936 (Accessed: 25th February 2021)
National Museum of Women in the Arts (2021) Get the Facts: The Numbers Don’t Lie, Available at: https://nmwa.org/support/advocacy/get-facts/ (Accessed: 25th February 2021)
National Galleries (29th May 2020) Why are there so few female artists? , Available at: https://youtu.be/SKMtZAfaLi8 (Accessed: 25th February 2021).