9781422271827

MASTERS OF ART

Vincent Van Gogh was born in March 1853 in Zundert, the Netherlands. He was the son of a pastor. Van Gogh’s first job was for an art dealing company. However, he did not enjoy this occupation and left the firm in 1876. Following a brief period in the teaching profession, he became a preacher in Belgium. In 1880, at the age of 27, Van Gogh decided to become a full-time artist. Fortunately, his brother Theo helped him financially. Eventually, in 1886, he joined his brother in Paris, where he became friends with many important artists of the time including Degas, Toulouse-Lautrec, Pissarro, and Gauguin. Under the influence of these artists, together with time spent in the south of France, his work became brighter and more vivid. Throughout his life, Van Gogh suffered from mental health problems and in July 1890, at the age of 37, he shot himself and after two days, he died.

THE ART OF VAN GOGH

I f price is the measure of value, Van Gogh was one of the greatest of all painters. Of course, the price of an object is, in one way, a valid indication of a real commercial value. Whatever the price of anything, if it sells, then someone wants it, and that in itself creates one criterion of value. With most manufactures, the selling price is at least related in some way to the cost of manufacture, including materials plus a profit margin. Such costs go up and down, and prices go up and down— or should—although they appear to have more of a struggle going down than up. But in the art world, the problem is much more complicated, and evaluations are more unreliable. Of course, the same principle of supply and demand will operate, and Van Gogh’s work commands world-record prices, reflecting an intense demand for what is a limited, finite supply. Here it is necessary to consider not only the

number of paintings produced but the remaining number available—many are not for sale at any price. Perhaps the first point to make is that, unlike the manufacturing situation, the product cost—canvas and paint—bears little or no relationship to the price. There is an added perceived value by association. If it is a Van Gogh, it is, by definition, currently worth a fortune. Of course, it was not always so—Van Gogh sold only one painting in his lifetime, and that was for only a few francs. From this, it becomes apparent that the value of the object, already established as unrelated to its physical cost, is also related to its perceived value. The attributed value of most artefacts, including paintings, is subject to considerable fluctuation, both up and down. Despite what might properly be described as a failed career in painting, it is extraordinary to realize how quickly Van Gogh’s reputation improved after his death.

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