Are Women Underrepresented in Galleries?

The Independent reports that trustees of London's Tate Modern have admitted that the gallery's collection fails to give adequate recognition to female artists and that they need to rectify the gender gap.

Of the 2,914 artists currently represented in the Tate's collection, only 348 - less than 12 per cent - are women. What's more,they say, only two of the 39 major works bought over the past two years were by female artists.

Those who have been overlooked so far include well-known painters Georgia O'Keeffe and Frida Kahlo. Of the better-represented artists, the one most familiar to American audiences might be photographer Cindy Sherman.

The Tate claims that its drive to purchase more works by women is not part of a positive discrimination policy, but rather a correction of past oversights.