Abstract
We study prices paid at auction for artworks created by male and female artists, based on birth-identified sex, and how these prices have evolved over time. Artworks produced by female artists comprise less than 4% of art auction sales; after controlling for artwork characteristics, we find that artworks by female artists are 4.4% more expensive than artworks by male artists. In the top echelon of the art market—for sales above $1 million—artworks by male artists sell for 18.4% more than by female artists. The top 40 artists represent 40% of total market share; no female artist makes the top 40 ranking of artists in terms of total sales value at auction in the period under study, 2000–2017. However, for contemporary artists, our empirical results show that works by male artists sell for 8.3% more than their female counterparts. Overall, this study highlights significant price differences across birth-identified sex in the secondary market for fine art.
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 543-565 |
Number of pages | 23 |
Journal | Journal of Cultural Economics |
Volume | 46 |
Issue number | 3 |
Early online date | 13 Feb 2021 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - Sept 2022 |
JEL classifications
- j24 - "Human Capital; Skills; Occupational Choice; Labor Productivity"
- j31 - "Wage Level and Structure; Wage Differentials"
- z11 - Cultural Economics: Economics of the Arts and Literature
- j71 - Labor Discrimination
Keywords
- art market
- auctions
- gender economics
- labour economics
- Art market
- Gender economics
- Labour economics
- Auctions