Gender Bias in the Art Market: A Persistent Disparity

Franco Broccardi examines the persistent gender imbalance in the art world, noting that despite societal changes, women artists remain underrepresented in galleries, auctions, and museums. Citing 1985 Guerrilla Girls statistics showing less than 5% of artists in the Met were women, he argues little has improved. Auction data from the last five years shows female lots never exceeded 10%, with consistently lower average values. Notable exceptions like Louise Bourgeois and Yayoi Kusama are rare. The ArtNews list of top 200 collectors is nearly half couples, with solo female collectors at roughly 20%. The article references Lee Krasner, whose mentor Hans Hofmann refused to help her exhibit, calling her work "too beautiful to be by a woman." Broccardi suggests this bias is both unethical and an economic opportunity, predicting eventual change and advising that buying works by women now could be a smart investment.