Colleagues Approval Means Little in the Art Market?

Despite the recognition and esteem of colleagues and critics.

Picasso artwork attract very few buyers, during the early years as an independent artist.  Even though one would assumed Picasso would have catapulted into the ranks of wealthy artists being the son of a respected artist and painting teacher plus the enrollment at the Royal Academy in Madrid. However, the first few years of the 1900's was a time of dire poverty for this globally recognized artist.

Throughout Picasso's long career, it is said Picasso pushed the horizons of 20th-century art towards a new artistic style.  He went through several creative phases.  One of his first self-contained stylistic phases was the so-called Blue Period in 1901 that continued until 1904.  The paintings were characterized by a prevailing blue tonality and depict figures of the fringes of society - melancholy scenes of great human intensity, sustained by impeccable drawings. His first paid project was in 1901, Picasso contracted to produce work for the Amboise Vollard's gallery, noted as his first oeuvre of sixty-four pieces, including drawings, and oils produced in his first studio in Paris.

Picasso's work was considered significant by members of the art establishment, however, art buyers during that era had little interest, resulting in a period of dire poverty for Picasso even though he had recognition and esteem of colleagues.

What's revealing even with the high regard of other artists and creative community their view renedred no financial obtainment or market influence.  What's worst, to survive, Picasso had to share a single room with only one bed, they took turns sleeping and together scraped enough money each day to eat. When winter arrived, the circumstances worsen, it is assumed that Picasso burned many drawings just to keep warm.

Picasso misfortune began to change during the second half of the first decade.  When Dan Henry Kahweiler a prominent gallery owner in 1907 became interested in Picasso art.  He also was the first person to recognize the importance and beauty of Picasso's Les Demoiselles D'Avignon,  and immediately wanting to buy it and all of Picasso's work.  Kahweiler market influence and public connection launched a new chapter for Picasso and other artists.  According to some historians, Kahweiler was among the first champion of Pablo Picasso and Cubism art and was also considered one of the major dealers and spokesmen for Cubism.

 Picasso wrote of Kahnweiler,  "What would have become of us if Kahnweiler hadn't had a business sense?" – 

Picasso statement was compelling because at the time of the origination of his most famous works Picasso was largely unknown as an artist outside of his circle and was destitute.

So, this takes us back to self-marketing. Even though the concept of self-marketing is well documented, it is not a strategy that is self-fulfilling as many may think nor appropriate for every occupation and/or industry. There are many artists who believed self-marketing is the ignitor to earning money and are finding out the hard way that that belief is not true. Marcio Faustino article "To have talent does not mean to earn money." illustrate the true challenges of self-marketing. The art's is one of those industries where self-marketing has had an adverse effect for the majority of today's artist.  Self-promoting should be considered after a professional non-subjective study has been completed and plan of action and measurement have been designed.

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