[Balero]

I can get an exact copy of a piece of artwork, say the Mona Lisa, for like $20. It will look identical, maybe another $50 for a nice frame. What you are seeing is identical.

The art market is not buying and selling pieces of artwork. It is for obfuscating money. Where the money came from, where and who the money is going to, how much is owed to or hidden from governments.

Art is expensive because it makes it easier to obfuscate large amounts of money.

[chucksta]

What you are seeing may be identical, but you and everyone else knows it's not the one it appears to be. You are buying the label.

Why is the first production car worth more? A buyer won't know the difference between the 1st and the 5th past that tag. IMO the cost is driven mostly by rarity.

Of course what you pointed out is definitely a role in art, but I don't think it's the primary driving force

[jayski]

in the exact case of the mona lisa, anyone could tell the difference because the real thing has noticeable texture and yours would just be a poster.

maybe a better analogy would be a famous photograph like the rhein 2

[Balero]

I mean you are right, but that texture is doing a lot of work, since the Mona Lisa is about $850 million, and my solution is $0.0001 million, and indistinguishable at 15 meters.

But either way, this doesn't distract from the main thrust of my point. Art is expensive for Money reasons, not art reasons.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZ3F3zWiEmc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5sOuET8UWA

[jayski]

yeah I agree, theres a lot of speculation in the art market.

[dmarcos]

You can buy replicas that reproduce the paint texture

https://www.designtoscano.com/products/mona-lisa-classic-art...