Artwork as an Investment
For many years works of art have been placed in museums, art galleries, and the private homes of the rich and famous, and the not so famous. Art, like music or theatre is in the eye of the beholder. It spawns from a particular taste or event or feeling that someone may have. From that can come the most marketable pieces ever presented.
Art is bought or displayed by people who like to look at it. The pictures they see form a different meaning for each of them and yet they are suspended in time and cannot be duplicated. They can be copied but once the picture or print is done, that’s it. It becomes a signature of the painter or sketcher. The artist paints more pictures or sketches more drawings for display or purchase. This can become a business, a very lucrative one.
In recent years certain works of art have gone for millions of dollars. People who collect art do it for many different reasons – to resale, for an investment for the future, or to just look at. Some collectors buy art for bragging rights; they were the first to grab up a particular painting, one that others wanted but probably couldn’t meet the asking price.
Paintings are sold all over the world. People who buy them buy because they like what they see. Looking at a beautifully transformed piece of art can make a person’s day. It’s not just important to own art it’s also important to see art – it broadens the horizons. The genre of art is considered acceptable in civilized society and has been almost since the beginning of time. And those who can paint are widely sought after in their circle.
Consider the art critic who can make or break an artist with favorable or unfavorable mention. Of course there are pictures that speak for themselves and need no mention pro or con. Pictures from artists like Picasso, Renoir, Seurat, Van Gogh, Kandinsky, Monet, Matisse, and Tanner. These famous painters’ works have stood the test of all time. Not only are they still relevant today, which is the mark of a true artist, but their paintings go for astronomical amounts when found – all that are not displayed in museums, that is.
One can make a good living from collecting artwork. This kind of investment can be used to pay off debts, contribute to a college education, finance a house or car, or take care of an elderly parent in their golden years. Can artwork be an investment? Yes, it can. In many ways art pays for itself if it is a good piece, appreciated, widely known and accepted, and is seen by the general public as interesting or beautiful.
Like the paintings that Monet did throughout the 1800′s, which included family members as well as landscapes, his works will be remembered forever for their simple grace and profound colors. Other artists have done similar works but did not become as famous as Mr. Monet. A painting has to speak to its audience in clear complete language. So not only can artwork become an investment but it can be enjoyed for many future generations.