In our dreams many artists like me hope our work will fetch hundreds of thousands, collected by wealthy buyers who value fine art. Thus we aim, with huge optimism, to be the Constables and Rembrandts of our day.
But they and their work will always be on a unique pedestal. Partly because they are long dead but also because they were the photographers and archivists of their time and immensely talented in their craft, bringing amazing records of their subject to life uniquely interpreting the light, colour and composition that no other medium could capture. And that is what we all strive to do today in our own individual way today.
When the technology of photography came along in the 19th century and particular as colour imagery developed in the 20th one might have predicted the demise of the artist. I mean why couldn’t high society in France and Great Britain opt for photos of Monet’s water lily ponds at Giverny which the camera could now capture much less expensively.
However the opposite happened as new artists came along who could now paint from subjects photographed from near and far and the art market has boomed since the invention.
Today we have the historically and contemporary famous artists, whose work still commands mind boggling sums, as it is perceived to be a highly valued commodity in the market.
But there is more than just a monetary value to fine art. Moving away from the extraordinary prices of Monet and Constable originals and to the work of today’s artists charging more affordable prices in the hundreds for their original fine art.
Whether it’s the work of the old masters or today’s talent an original piece of artwork not only adds to the ambience of the home’s decor it becomes a real talking point, especially if the subject is personal like a beloved pet. It, like the work of the masters, also represents an exclusive interpretation of a subject no other medium can capture.