Why was a particular work of art created? For millennia, artists were hired by the royalty or the church or temple, and were paid for a specific commission. The role of an individual as an art patron came much later. Here is an interesting article about exhibiting art in a "salon" that includes the origin of the word, the Salon Carree at the Louvre in Paris in the 1600's. It is a fascinating read. http://untitled.pnca.edu/articles/show/5003/

I'm back. Sorry for the long silence on the blog. We have been very active on Facebook and look for us there. However, the ephemeral nature of Facebook has reinforced the allure of a blog. So once again I'll be doing posts. Next week will be new posts from Los Angeles!