Less than 1% of the works in the UK National Gallery’s permanent collection are by women.

Less than 1% of the works in the National Gallery’s permanent collection are by women. This is an example of the under-representation of female artists in art collections and history.

• In 2021, the Freelands Foundation reported that only 1% of works in the National Gallery’s collection were by women.
  

• In 2022, Murray Edwards College, Cambridge, found that only 7% of art in top galleries was by women.
  

• In 2023, the Guardian reported that only 5% of the National Gallery’s After Impressionism exhibition was by women.

Some initiatives have been created to address the under-representation of women in art collections. For example, the National Gallery staged its first solo exhibition of a historic female artist in 2020...

The stark under-representation of female artists in major galleries underscores the ongoing challenges in achieving gender equity within the art world. It is imperative that institutions continue to build on these initiatives, striving for a more inclusive and diverse reflection of artistic talent. There should be hope that future generations will experience a richer, more balanced tapestry of artistic expression that honours the contributions of women artists.

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Initiatives like the Women in Art Prize aim to help redress the imbalance. @womeninartprize_