The Economics of Art History

This book expands our understanding of art markets and their impact on art creation through interdisciplinary contributions by economists and art historians. The study of art history has been traditionally focused on the description of artistic innovations, the role of the artists that made them and the meaning of the artworks they created. It has often neglected the broader reasons why certain innovations took place in certain places, in specific times and in particular ways. Exploring old, modern and contemporary art markets, the book shows that the impact of institutional and economic factors has been critical in shaping the evolution of art history, and quantitative methods can be useful to improve our understanding of the history of figurative arts and the relationship between market structure and creativity. It is of great interest to cultural economists, art historians and students and scholars interested in understanding art markets.