It wasn’t until mid Renaissance times that anyone other than the church was wealthy enough to afford decorative commissioned paintings. People wanted to show their wealth by asking painters and sculptors to do this.
Roman Art was almost as wallpaper, it covered most of the interior walls, outdoors murals, shop walls and ceilings.
Art form then, was a service to others, a technical skill brought into your establishment with limited individual freedom. Nevertheless, many artists while working for the church and patrons would also benefit from food and bedding as guests while executing their assignments.
In contemporary times, artists are given an assignment and we often pre-negotiate payment, theme, color scheme, size, etc…
Has the artist possess limited freedom in their work? What are the personal benefits besides the payment that an artist accomplishes from a commission that moves away from the individual style?
The challenge is that an artist has to re-think their work outside their ‘safe-comfort zone’ and create pieces that satisfy the commissioner as much as themselves.
I personally found this a very enjoyable journey for a professional artist. These five paintings shown here are an allocated comission to Novotel Hotel in my local zone.
After given a brief, I have walked to my studio thinking, researched and re-invent some artform that would still fall in to the client’s expectation and of course carry on my style signature. A challenge that I have truly enjoyed with the added bonus of discovering a new facet to my developing art skills.
Is a traditional artist an ego seeker? What is an artist true goal when producing art, is it their own fulfillment, or is it the rewarding enjoyment of public/patrons approval?
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- Sunrise – Oil on painting paper
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- Sunset – Oil on painting paper
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- Sunshine – Oil on painting paper
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- Moonrise – Oil on painting paper
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- Misty – Oil on painting paper
Years ago as a stroppy adolescent, when I knew even less about art & art history than I do now, I cockily proclaimed that anything commissioned could immediately be dismissed as craft or commerce, certainly not worthy of that tag art. My 5th form art teacher grabbed a book and opened it on a reproduction of the Cistine Chapel and at that moment I started to grow up….
Angela,
I love the colors of your paintings. I have a motif in mind, similar to your ‘Misty’ picture. I hesitated painting it thinking that it could be too severe. What I decided, inspired by your post that, I will make it part of a series so that other pictures, more colorful, will lighten the mood.
Angela,
Your thoughts on commissions are very insightful. I wish more artists could see the kind of value that you’ve seen in doing that kind of work. It really does require you to stop being so self-centric and understand what other people want and need. And that’s not a bad thing. It’s always possible to go back to your own work — if doing a commission ruins your personal art, then it’s likely your personal art wasn’t strong.
And your “…rise” series works very well indeed. I think Birgit is right — that they talk to each other and make a strong whole. Thanks for a great post.
If I had to choose I’d pick the last two by that invisible line of motion, its strong evocative meaning.
And the first by light, by the impact.
Si tuviera que elegir me quedaría con los dos últimos por esa invisible línea de movimiento ,por su fuerte sentido evocador.
Y el primero por la luz, por el impacto.
Un abrazo
I have recently been able to put aside my artist’s angst about being told what to do, being commercial, being circumscribed by people who want me to ‘sell my soul’ and have taken on a series of portrait commissions for someone I am acquainted with. I had attempted to do commissions several years ago (more abstract, not portraits) and hated it. I believe that was because I did not have a good sense of who I was as an artist and was not “formed” enough to have the confidence that commissions did not have to decide my artistic life. Or, if they did, that was my choice and a valid one.
Recently I took the dive into painting portraits and learning about acrylic painting. My previous attempts at painting exhibit lack of commitment and skill. I wanted to do something about that. After completing a few portraits, somebody asked me to attempt commissions for him. I was beginning to gain confidence and a method of working that I felt good about so I decided that I could earn money while I learned and accepted.
It has been good for me. I set aside my need to be “good” and just did what I could with the instructions he gave and let it go. Some of these works are better than others. For instance, my skill level did not allow me to take the head of a 16 year old girl and put it convincingly on the body of the same child at 12 as requested, but I tried my best and when the customer was satisfied, I let it go.
There were all sorts of bizarre challenges like this. I would never have attempted such stuff on my own. What the h#!! Do what you like. I say. Keep an open mind and you will learn.