How is an artist's reputation determined?

How is an artist's reputation determined?

It is not always easy to understand how an artist's reputation—that is, the price of his or her artworks—is determined, regardless of the medium used (painting, sculpture, photography or drawing).

An artwork's price may range from a few dozen euros to tens of millions of euros, as we have seen with the sale of Salvator Mundi by Leonardo da Vinci, which sold for more than 450 million dollars at Christie's in november 2017. It can sometimes be hard to understand the huge variations in the prices of artworks

Contributing factors to an artist's reputation

In this article, you will find the various factors that determine an artist's reputation and therefore explain the price their works:

- The artist's reputation and the attention they receive from the media: An artist's reputation is measured based on their perceived importance in the history of art and/or their degree of innovation. Moreover, the amount of press an artist receives as well as the number articles and books published about their work will all help contribute to the artist's legitimity, reputation and worth.

- Recognition for their work: It is important for an artist's work to be recognised as interesting or innovative. Recognition is often measured based on the interest paid to the artist by interests art experts, galleries (especially renowned galleries), art dealers, and various cultural institutions (museums, private collections, cultural institutions, etc.). Artists who display their work in artistic institutions or galleries see their worth and reputation increase, especially when these institutions are prestigious themselves.

- Sales in distinguished auction houses: an artist's reputation also increases when his or her works are held and sold by major auction houses.

- Rarity: The availability of artworks by an artist plays a crucial role in their pricing. According to the supply and demand principle that governs today's art market, logic has it that the rarer the artist's work, the greater its value.

- The creation date: In an artist's life and output, certain periods are valued more than others. Works from the start of their career or from a lesser known period may be worth more than those easily found on the market.

- The materials and techniques used: As previously mentioned in our article about what determines the price of an artwork, the materials and techniques used also have an impact on a work's final price.

Tip: You can stay up to date with contemporary or modern artists' reputation on Artsper by following the artists you like. You will receive an alert when new artworks by these artists are available on our platform. Prices are included so you'll be able to see any changes in the prices of artworks by your favourite artists.