Great American Art
THE GREATEST ARTISTS IN AMERICA
I recently received a small stack of art prints, which, even in that small sampling contained the truly great art of America. The prints were small portraits of heroes of the American Revolution, all of the same size and style. There were a few portraits of George Washington, some of Andrew Jackson, and a very few of Benjamin Franklin, all carefully framed in a decorative scrollwork that was both intricate and attractive.
These are the true American art in its purest form.
Looking at the prints reminded me of an article I read some years ago about an art dealer who owned 12 paintings by Van Gough.
I am not certain, but I believe the article was true.
The dealer placed four of the paintings up for auction, and had his own proxy bidders compete to raise the price from the usual tens of thousands that the dealer had paid for the paintings, to a million.
Yes, he bought his own paintings back through proxies.
The results?
Now the paintings for some strange reason had caught fire in the minds of the art elite of the world, and any painting by Van Gough was considered a ‘must have’. The dealer was then able to auction the four paintings for more than two million each, and he auctioned the remaining eight for the same price.
He was not an artist, or an art lover. He was an entrepreneur and makes no apologies or excuses.
The works of Van Gough have since become the most sought after works in the art world. No matter how good or how bad the paintings may be considered by others, it was enough that so many people were willing to trade so many of the little portraits of American Revolutionary War heroes for his work, that he became great in the eyes of the world.
I am not condemning the system or those who use it for their own ends. I enjoy the fact that artists get money and that art dealers get even more money and that the ‘art elite’ is so willing to part with their money to make both happy.
The manipulation of the foolish is what art world is really all about.
That’s why I like to collect these little portraits. I don’t need canvas or paper with its fragile paint or chalk. I desire the truly great art that can be stored away in private, and brought out only for my own viewing pleasure, or to negotiate some trade with those who also are art collectors, and we can all achieve that happiness that can only come from the world of art.
I recently received a small stack of art prints, which, even in that small sampling contained the truly great art of America. The prints were small portraits of heroes of the American Revolution, all of the same size and style. There were a few portraits of George Washington, some of Andrew Jackson, and a very few of Benjamin Franklin, all carefully framed in a decorative scrollwork that was both intricate and attractive.
These are the true American art in its purest form.
Looking at the prints reminded me of an article I read some years ago about an art dealer who owned 12 paintings by Van Gough.
I am not certain, but I believe the article was true.
The dealer placed four of the paintings up for auction, and had his own proxy bidders compete to raise the price from the usual tens of thousands that the dealer had paid for the paintings, to a million.
Yes, he bought his own paintings back through proxies.
The results?
Now the paintings for some strange reason had caught fire in the minds of the art elite of the world, and any painting by Van Gough was considered a ‘must have’. The dealer was then able to auction the four paintings for more than two million each, and he auctioned the remaining eight for the same price.
He was not an artist, or an art lover. He was an entrepreneur and makes no apologies or excuses.
The works of Van Gough have since become the most sought after works in the art world. No matter how good or how bad the paintings may be considered by others, it was enough that so many people were willing to trade so many of the little portraits of American Revolutionary War heroes for his work, that he became great in the eyes of the world.
I am not condemning the system or those who use it for their own ends. I enjoy the fact that artists get money and that art dealers get even more money and that the ‘art elite’ is so willing to part with their money to make both happy.
The manipulation of the foolish is what art world is really all about.
That’s why I like to collect these little portraits. I don’t need canvas or paper with its fragile paint or chalk. I desire the truly great art that can be stored away in private, and brought out only for my own viewing pleasure, or to negotiate some trade with those who also are art collectors, and we can all achieve that happiness that can only come from the world of art.
posted by Jim Bronaugh | 5:46 PM
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