Baselitz Doesn't Stack Up (Paints Mostly Upside Down)

Back in February 2013, Georg Baselitz claimed that women lack the basic character to become great painters, because we don't "pass the market test, the value test”, adding: “As always, the market is right.” With this dismissive comment, centuries of female artists were wiped away with a stroke. His comments sparked a backlash then, and recently his comments surfaced again on Facebook, with the same result. Women were outraged (me included) and a few men chimed in their support (thank you men!).

The arguments on whether men are better than women, or women are better than men at doing XYZ, are really boring, don't advance dialogue and understanding, and at worse, result in vitriolic responses (me included). The truth is, most men do not paint well and most women do not either. According to Griselda Pollock, if a man paints brilliantly, it's because of their individuality, not their masculinity. Sarah Thornton adds, “The market gets it wrong all the time. To see the market as a mark of quality is going down a delusional path. I’m shocked Baselitz does. His work doesn't go for so much.” 

How much would a "Baselitz" set you back by? The record for a work by Baselitz was £3.2m in 2011 for his work Spekulatius. When Georgia O'Keeffe's painting Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1 (1932) sold at Sotheby's on November 20 for $44.4 million, tripling its high estimate of $15 million, it became the most expensive painting by a female artist sold at auction. The record was previously held by Joan Mitchell, for Untitled, which sold for $11.9 million, and was set earlier this year at Christie's New York in May 2014 (see "O'Keeffe Painting Sells for $44 Million at Sotheby's, Sets Record for Work by Female Artist.")

The sales of the Mitchell and O'Keeffe paintings were among several notable sales this year of work by female artists, including Cindy Sherman, Yayoi Kusama, and Barbara Hepworth. ArtNet recently had a piece on living artists (see "Who Are the Top 10 Most Expensive Living Women Artists?"), with all the recent movement among female artists at the auctions, whether living or dead, here are their top 11 female artists (and all of them with more than double or greater value than Mr Baselitz').

1. Georgia O'Keeffe

Jimson Weed/White Flower No. 1 (1932) sold at Sotheby's New York on November 20, 2014, for $44,405,000.

2. Joan Mitchell

Untitled (1960) sold at Christie's New York on May 13, 2014,  for $11,925,000.

3. Berthe Morisot

Après le déjeuner (1881) sold at Christie's London on February 6, 2013, for $10,933,245.

4. Natalia Sergeevna Goncharova

Les fleurs (1912) sold at Christie's London on June 24, 2008, for $10,860,833.

5. Louise Bourgeois

Spider (1996) sold at Christie's New York on November 8, 2011, for $10,722,500.

6. Tamara de Lempicka

Le rêve (Rafaëla sur fond vert) (1927) sold at Sotheby's New York on November 2, 2011, for $8,482,500.

7. Camille Claudel

La valse, permière version (1892, printing/casting 1893) sold at Sotheby's London on June 19, 2013, for $8,018,941.

8. Yayoi Kusama

White No. 28 (1960) sold at Christie's New York on November 12, 2014, for $7,109,000.

9. Barbara Hepworth

Figure for Landscape (1960) sold at Christie's London on June 25, 2014, for $7,083,050.

10. Kay Sage

Le passage (1956) sold at Sotheby's London on February 5, 2014, for $7,074,026.

11. Cindy Sherman

Untitled Film Stills (1977) sold at Christie's New York on November 12, 2014, for $6,773,000.

So next time someone states something just plain stupid, don't reply.  Check the facts, and thus armed, post them for all to see!