Introducing Beginners to the Art Market: What to Read?
The art book section in a bookstore often feels like a labyrinth without a map. Hundreds of publications covering different epochs and narrative angles – from prehistoric cave paintings to NFTs. From Renaissance masterpieces to contemporary installations. From Western traditions to colonial perspectives. What should you start reading if you want to gain a general understanding of art history, aesthetics, and the art market?
I've discussed this with many friends. Ultimately, they either bought nothing, or chose a universal publication and were disappointed with it. Some picked up a book with the most recognizable painting on the cover, hoping it would somehow provide a key to understanding the entire art world. Others stopped at a biography of a familiar artist and again ended up not reading anything about art history. Confusion abounds.