The Presence of Women Photographers in the Permanent Collections of Ten European Museums

Gender inequality in the various artistic disciplines is still a socio-political problem despite the efforts of governments and institutions. The aim of this article was to examine the catalogues of the permanent collections of ten European museums: the Tate Modern, the Centre Pompidou, the MACBA (Museu d'Art Contemporani de Barcelona), the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, the Istanbul Modern Art Museum, the MUMOK (Museum Moderner Kunst), the Stedelijk Museum, the Kiasma, the Hermitage Museum and the Astrup Fearnley Museet, and then compare the proportion of women among the artists in their collections. For this purpose, the number of works and artists was counted and analysed in each museum in the sample taking into account the social, political and economic conditions of the institution and relating them to the rest of art institutions. The results show a clear underrepresentation of women artists.