I can name a LOT of them: Damien Hurst, Banksy, David Hockney, Jasper Johns, and many, many more. Plenty more that have died recently, but were hugely famous during their lifetimes, like Chuck Close or Roy Lichtenstein, who are displayed in nearly every museum in the world, including the Met and MOMA. Many artists like Picasso, Rembrandt, Michaelangelo, Monet, and many more, were extraordinarily famous in their lifetimes.
The idea that famous artists and composers didn’t get famous until long after they were dead, is an exaggeration to the point of being mostly false.
I have a degree in music history, and I can name 10 famous composers who were relatively famous in their own lifetimes, for every one that became famous posthumously. Many famous artists and composers were very famous in their lifetimes, which is why they became even more famous in death. There are the notable exceptions like JS Bach and Van Gogh, but there are a lot more like Beethoven or DaVinci, who were enormously famous during their lifetimes. Even those that are known for becoming famous after death, like JS Bach or Schubert, were still well known among local and regional musicians, which is why their music was preserved after death.
And that’s where I concede that there may have been great composers who NEVER became famous because nobody ever heard their music, and nobody ever preserved it. But that’s not the same as becoming FAMOUS after death. That’s a bit of a cliche, with few actual examples.
I can name a LOT of them: Damien Hurst, Banksy, David Hockney, Jasper Johns, and many, many more. Plenty more that have died recently, but were hugely famous during their lifetimes, like Chuck Close or Roy Lichtenstein, who are displayed in nearly every museum in the world, including the Met and MOMA. Many artists like Picasso, Rembrandt, Michaelangelo, Monet, and many more, were extraordinarily famous in their lifetimes.
I think you’re being very naive. One of the people you mentioned did something exactly for the purpose op was saying. 20 artists in the last century in museums isn’t a lot of people either. All of that is decided by the tastemakers, the people who have connections and/or lots and lots of money to run the museum. Bill Gates mom ran the Seattle Art Museum for years.
I wasn’t offering a comprehensive list of “famous” or “great” living artists, just a few examples. I’m not naive, I know about Damien Hurst, and his consortiums, but he’s the exception. I chuckled typing his name as an example, he’s a K-Pop band, on a stage with Springsteen and Dylan, but technically he IS an artist, just like technically the K-Pop band are musicians. He’s just figured out a way to monetize his art, but he’s an exception. Koons is another one. So was Thomas Kinkade. These guys are bomb throwers, not serious artists.
Most artists don’t have that kind of notoriety, nor do they want it. Most artists I know, would be happy just making their living from their art, so they can only do art. Some don’t even want to make money from their art. Generally, success is based on how well they personally feel they rendered the emotion they were trying to explore.
And the wealthy have ALWAYS been the best benefactors for the arts, especially music and painting, that’s nothing new, and should be strongly encouraged. Most of Haydn’s greatest compositions were written while he spent decades employed by Prince Esterhazy. Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, and just about every composer took commissions from wealthy patrons.
And why shouldn’t an artist take it? The wealthy generally have more money than brains (most inherited), so if they are going to throw away their excess excess excess money on obviously metaphoric rockets, throw some dough to the artists instead. It’s one way to get that promised trickle down money, although you got to squeeze that tree really hard to get the juice out of it.
And now we’re back to OP’s original comment. I think you’re agreeing with them.
This. And nearly no artist makes big money on art unless a.) they die first or b.) it’s some BS “modern art” paint splattered on a page made for the explicit purpose of being purchased by a bazillion are and “donated” to a museum so they can make a huge tax write off. (Read: used to dodge taxes)
Can you name a living visual artist (ya know painters or whatever) that are alive?
I can name a LOT of them: Damien Hurst, Banksy, David Hockney, Jasper Johns, and many, many more. Plenty more that have died recently, but were hugely famous during their lifetimes, like Chuck Close or Roy Lichtenstein, who are displayed in nearly every museum in the world, including the Met and MOMA. Many artists like Picasso, Rembrandt, Michaelangelo, Monet, and many more, were extraordinarily famous in their lifetimes.
The idea that famous artists and composers didn’t get famous until long after they were dead, is an exaggeration to the point of being mostly false.
I have a degree in music history, and I can name 10 famous composers who were relatively famous in their own lifetimes, for every one that became famous posthumously. Many famous artists and composers were very famous in their lifetimes, which is why they became even more famous in death. There are the notable exceptions like JS Bach and Van Gogh, but there are a lot more like Beethoven or DaVinci, who were enormously famous during their lifetimes. Even those that are known for becoming famous after death, like JS Bach or Schubert, were still well known among local and regional musicians, which is why their music was preserved after death.
And that’s where I concede that there may have been great composers who NEVER became famous because nobody ever heard their music, and nobody ever preserved it. But that’s not the same as becoming FAMOUS after death. That’s a bit of a cliche, with few actual examples.
I think you’re being very naive. One of the people you mentioned did something exactly for the purpose op was saying. 20 artists in the last century in museums isn’t a lot of people either. All of that is decided by the tastemakers, the people who have connections and/or lots and lots of money to run the museum. Bill Gates mom ran the Seattle Art Museum for years.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/For_the_Love_of_God
I wasn’t offering a comprehensive list of “famous” or “great” living artists, just a few examples. I’m not naive, I know about Damien Hurst, and his consortiums, but he’s the exception. I chuckled typing his name as an example, he’s a K-Pop band, on a stage with Springsteen and Dylan, but technically he IS an artist, just like technically the K-Pop band are musicians. He’s just figured out a way to monetize his art, but he’s an exception. Koons is another one. So was Thomas Kinkade. These guys are bomb throwers, not serious artists.
Most artists don’t have that kind of notoriety, nor do they want it. Most artists I know, would be happy just making their living from their art, so they can only do art. Some don’t even want to make money from their art. Generally, success is based on how well they personally feel they rendered the emotion they were trying to explore.
And the wealthy have ALWAYS been the best benefactors for the arts, especially music and painting, that’s nothing new, and should be strongly encouraged. Most of Haydn’s greatest compositions were written while he spent decades employed by Prince Esterhazy. Mozart, Beethoven, Bach, and just about every composer took commissions from wealthy patrons.
And why shouldn’t an artist take it? The wealthy generally have more money than brains (most inherited), so if they are going to throw away their excess excess excess money on obviously metaphoric rockets, throw some dough to the artists instead. It’s one way to get that promised trickle down money, although you got to squeeze that tree really hard to get the juice out of it.
And now we’re back to OP’s original comment. I think you’re agreeing with them.
Both of which I don’t agree with, and the second one is just insulting and stupid.