The undervaluing of art made by women reflects a wider problem with social perceptions, writes Marianne Gemmeke
It is indeed shocking that art made by men costs 10 times more (‘Mind-blowing’: Why do men’s paintings cost 10 times more than women’s?, 2 August). But looking at the quality of the art itself is trying to solve the wrong problem. Men have always given work by men higher monetary value – that is unlikely to change. This art, like wine, is primarily bought as an investment or something to boast about. For some reason men have always thought that women don’t really need money, hence the reluctance to pay maintenance or even an equal wage. Recently, I had a very nice male colleague tell me that wives’ incomes supplement those of husbands. I am a senior consultant in the NHS and, like many of my friends and sisters, I am the main earner in the family. Oh, and my daughter is an artist, good luck to her.
Marianne Gemmeke
Eastleigh, Hampshire
