Top 10 most expensive female artists at auction

Tamara de Lempicka

ArtnetNews has published its list of the most expensive female artists at auction each year. American artist, Georgia O'Keeffe, once again tops the list for 2016, maintaining her lead thanks to the princely sum of $44.4 million paid for one of her works in 2014. However, the Franco-American artist, Louise Bourgeois, has moved up the ranking to take second place this year.

Georgia O'Keeffe

Her record-breaking sum from 2014 still hasn't been beaten, when the Crystal Bridges Museum in Arkansas, USA, purchased "Jimson Wee/White Flower No. 1" for $44.4 million at Sotheby's.

Louise Bourgeois

After coming fourth in last year's list, Louise Bourgeois has climbed to second place for 2016 thanks to her 1996 bronze "Spider" sculpture, sold by Christie's in autumn 2015 for $28.2 million.

Joan Mitchell

The former second-place-holder drops one place this year but stays near the top of the list thanks to an untitled work from 1960, sold by Christie's for just under $12 million.

Berthe Morisot

This Impressionist artist is no stranger to record-breaking auction prices. Coming third in last year's ranking, she remains high on the list this year after the record sale of "Après le déjeuner" (1881), which fetched nearly $11 million in 2013.

Natalia Sergeevna Goncharova

Like last year, the Russian avant-garde painter, Natalia Sergeevna Goncharova, comes in very closely behind Berthe Morisot, after "Les Fleurs" (1912) fetched just under $11 million in 2008.

Agnes Martin

Agnes Martin joins the top 10 for 2016, climbing into sixth place with "Orange Grove," which sold for $10.7 million in May 2016. Her previous record dates from 2013, when "The Beach" fetched $6.5 million.

Cady Noland

This artist landed in the 2015 list with "Bluewald" (1989), which sold that year for $9.7 million.

Tamara de Lempicka

Tamara de Lempicka drops one place this year, finishing eighth with "Le rêve (Rafaëla sur fond vert)" (1927), sold for $8.4 million at Sotheby's New York in 2011.

Camille Claudel

French sculptor Camille Claudel has been on the list for four years now, and is still hanging on thanks to the 2013 sale of "La valse, première version" (1893), with fetched $8 million at Sotheby's London.

Frida Kahlo

Mexican artist, Frida Kahlo, is another new name for 2016, joining the ranking with "Dos Desnudos en el Bosque (La Tierra Misma)," dating from 1939, which sold for a record-breaking $8 million this year. 

On the local front, Red Hong Yi is representing Malaysian female artists hard and well on the world stage.