Bring back art to the people

Wheat Fields by Jacob van Ruisdael,1670

In Rembrandt’s time anyone could collect art be he a lawyer, a king, a cobbler, a butcher, or a farmer,...The art market was open, lively and transparent. Most people were informed. The quality of the paintings was excellent and the prices affordable. Collecting art was a sound activity and everybody owned beautiful pieces, which they proudly hung on their walls.

Today one prefers watching TV to collecting art because the art market is ruled by its extremes. One is offered a choice between cheap but bad art and good art at extravagant prices. The art market is managed by a few exclusive “art experts”. They create the value, make the money and award the recognition. In short, they control the market. This system offers little transparency, almost no information and keeps away most investors from collecting art.

There are great discrepancies in the current art market. This situation ought to change. Art must be brought back to the people and do what it does best: give them pleasure. The general public is misled by an art which it doesn’t understand. People don’t want to be told what they should like or not like. They want to be able to collect art they are fond of and hang it freely in their homes. Artists must gain confidence and start producing accessible paintings that everyone can appreciate. Art must go back to its roots to become simple, enjoyable and fun. It must speak to the heart, not to the brain.

As in the time of Rembrandt, art must become exciting again and recover its life. It must again offer enjoyment and find its way onto everybody’s wall. There are many great works of art which remain unknown and await discovery. Art is also an attractive investment which thrives in a crisis. It’s an asset which increases in value while one enjoys it; an asset everyone should have access to.

The art market needs to flourish again. It needs to be easier to access and become more approachable. It should be opened to a broader range of art dealers and collectors. Let’s shake things up! A “wind of revival” is necessary to energize an obstructed market. Pass on the word!