Thursday, October 8, 2020

Art: Philosophy, Pleasure, Prophecy, Profit, or Propaganda?

What is Art? Is it for philosophy, pleasure, prophecy, profit, or propaganda? 

It is unfortunate that there have been those who purchase what is thought to be a work of Art because it fits a preconceived notion as to what is “Art.”  E.g., a person of great means has the money to buy a 17th century Dutch oil painting portrait, the artist may be well known or not, and the cost may be $500k.   [Well, it’s not a Rembrandt since that would go into the millions.]  

Anyway, they buy the painting and it’s a good example of 17th century Dutch portraiture.  So what?  They just bought the equivalent of a snapshot of someone else’s family member from a few centuries ago for $500k so they can hang it in their house?  What makes this Art—or is it really just a commodity, either a conspicuous consumption or an investment? 


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