The Patronage System
The other day I had some of my paintings out on West Broadway between Prince and Spring, while I hung out with a painter named La. He was telling me about his various sales during the week and an old feature film he once shot. Trying to sell paintings is as hard as any other business. But remember when the patronage system was big? I do.
Before the galleries and museums, the wealthy would commission works from artists. One of the most famous relations was between Michelangelo and the Medici patrons. It was a classic battle between the creator and the boss — being told what to do while trying to follow your muse. Many a Medici would constantly change their minds and distract him with other assignments. One incident involved two popes who made him sculpt tomb statues for their relatives. The stone faces ended up having no resemblance to their appearance, to which he said that in 100 years, no one would care what his actual subjects looked like.
patronage system, Michelangelo, Medici
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