111-229 Art and the Market, Then and Now

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Available as 111-329 at 3rd-year level.

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Subject Description

This subject deals with the emerging area of studies of the marketing of art. It commences in fifteenth-century Italy with an examination of the organisation of artists' workshops and concludes by analysing the relationships between contemporary artists and dealers and the market for aboriginal art. The subject includes examination of the art market in the narrow sense in which the term is generally used. Attention is directed to such issues as forgery, the early professional art dealer and the changing relationship of artist and patron to artist and client. It also examines the marketing of art in a broader sense. Auction houses and the internationalisation of the art market are thus also considered for the light they throw on our understanding of issues of commodification and perceptions of artistic worth. Other topics include artistic reputation, the artist as entrepreneur, art market and museum policies and the psychology of collecting.

Assessment

Written work which may comprise class paper, essays, visual tests or take-home examinations totalling about 5000 words.