So, if you watch BBC’s Art of Scandinavia, you get the impression that there were and are no noteworthy female artists (one Danish female artist is mentioned and that is in a somewhat negative light as part of the rampant nationalism of the mid 19th century). [I have not seen the Swedish episode yet, but the same pattern applies to the Norwegian one].
Add to this that the two museum custodians are women (but mostly silent – though to be fair, the host tries to engage the first one in some conversation) while the actor (who is being interviewed) is a man.
And let’s not get started on the simplifications – after all, this is one man’s opinion, and I guess one cannot expect a complex analysis of history in one hour…
I don’t believe that a particular gender should be ‘added’ to a programme just for the sake of adding it, but there are so many interesting female artists that could have been included that this must be a choice (whether conscious or not) and it really reflects poorly on the programme and the BBC.
I can only say: Scandinavian art and culture are so much more than this!