artnet owns the world’s largest and most comprehensive database for secondary market sales of fine and decorative art. With the help of the artnet Analytics team, we crunched the numbers to assemble a definitive list of the world’s top-selling female artists at auction.

We examined sales results from auction houses worldwide, looking back as far as 1985. Following is a complete tally of the top 50 female artists (living or deceased) from the past three decades.

The list shows the top female artists as ranked by total value of secondary market sales, and displays overall sales volume by value and quantity. Not surprisingly, we found that nearly all these female artists practiced in the 20th and 21st centuries, with a large number of them classified as postwar and contemporary.

For more information about these artists, including their top-selling lots, comparable sales, or overall market trends, we invite you to visit the artnet Price Database or artnet Analytics at artnet.com.

Earlier this month, we gave readers a peek at the 10 top selling female artists by lot; see “Who Are the Most Expensive Women Artists at Auction?”

Interested in more of our stories about top female artists? See:

“O’Keeffe Painting Sells for $44 Million at Sotheby’s, Sets Record for Work by Female Artist”

“Joan Mitchell Leads the Pack at Bonhams Sale”

“Once Again… Where Are All the Women Artists?”

“Beatriz Milhazes and Mario Garcia Torres Show Boldly at the Pérez Art Museum“

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