Exhibition 'Kunst voor de Kost (Art for a living)' in Dordrechts Museum
Not caring about commerce or the marketplace is something few artists can afford. After all, the chimney has to smoke. In painting, all sorts of solutions have been found to this over the centuries. In the 19th century, when commerce began to play a strong guiding role in the art world, artists became increasingly inventive. Some produced sellable paintings alongside their own, free work. Other artists were fortunate that their favorite subject matter resonated well with the market. One golden formula for success does not exist; the market is always moving. And artists move with it.
The artworks and themes in the exhibition raise questions that are still relevant today. Is an artist a creative genius or an entrepreneur? Do creativity and commerce go hand in hand? Kunst voor de Kost searches for answers to these questions and takes the visitor back to the dynamic 19th-century art world.
