Female artists continue to be undervalued

Extensive new study into highest prized pieces globally reveals all 152 pieces are by male artists.

Leipzig Tourism and Marketing GmbH analysed oil on canvas classics to sculptures, digital art to non-fungible tokens.

The survey features iconic artists including Banksy, Gustav Klimt and Jackson Pollock.

Top dollar billing goes to Salvator Munchi by Leonardo Da Vinci, valued at estimated eye-watering $537M, followed by Williem de Kooning’s Interchange, worth cool $370M.

Highest ranked artwork by living artist is False Start by Jasper Johns, valued at $116M, last sold in 2006. Bottom of the list is Banksy’s famous Girl With Balloon, boasting $1.62M price tag.

Closer inspection confirms ALL work surveyed was created by male artists.

World’s most expensive female-created piece of art saw 2014 sale of Georgia O’Keefe’s Jimson Weed/White Flower for $44.4M2 ... paltry two per cent value of Da Vinci’s masterpiece!

Lætitia Gorsy, founder of Leipzig's She BAM! all-woman gallery, said: “While it is of course disappointing to see no females in the list, this really shines a light on the lack of gender equality that has existed throughout history.

“I believe the key takeaway from this should be we need to focus on the importance of women creating space for other women to produce their art, a continuous sharing of all things, a transference of power. Gender equality is not a female issue, it's a social and economic issue.”

Stefan Weppelmann, German art historian and director of Leipzig-based Museum of Fine Arts, added: "There were - and are- fantastic women artists. Works by the Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi are now worth millions.

"But the art market has always been male-dominated. Fortunately, times have slowly but surely changed. Today, collectors are looking for strong and feminine artistic positions. Anyone who wants to build a collection today, or who has responsibility in a museum context and wants to be taken seriously, will naturally pursue or even discover important female artists.

"Ultimately, however, a price says something about the buyer of a work. The work of art itself is not recognised by money, but in the long term by its quality, and the trend is for women artists to set the tone as much as their male colleagues.

"When I think of the last Venice Biennale, women often have the stronger voice".

Leipzig, often hailed "Creative City" due to its rich cultural heritage, has long been a haven for artists and creatives, now home to more than 20 art galleries and over 50 museums.

In a bid to live up to the city’s reputation, Leipzig Tourism and Marketing GmbH delved deeper into world's most iconic and valuable artwork and impact inflation has had on price tags over time.

Dana Marschner, Project Manager International PR & Marketing at the Leipzig Tourism and Marketing GmbH, commented: “It has been fascinating to research the most expensive artworks in the world, and to compare digital artwork and even NFTs with some of the most famous ‘classic’ pieces of art in history, for the first time ever.

“We wanted to conduct this research to put Leipzig on the map as one of the best cities in the world when it comes to arts and culture. Although the top 152 sadly doesn’t include female artists, there are many hugely talented women artists in the world today and from history. It’s hugely important they are celebrated and not overlooked.

“In Leipzig itself, visitors can see incredible works by Rosa Loy and Ella Hagen as well as Katrin Brause aka Heichel, visiting wonderful all-women art galleries such as SHE BAM!. We would encourage anyone who comes to Leipzig to pay them a visit.”

Study link can be found here: https://www.leipzig.travel/en/discover/music-and-culture/culture site.