Collectors or Resellers: Here's How Art Patronage Works

In the third installment of their ongoing series, The Art Market (in Four Parts), Artsy investigates the history and influence of art patrons. Patronage has existed for centuries: artists have long sought the funding and financial support of kings, popes and leaders of industry to facilitate the elaborate projects, like the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, the Mona Lisa, and innumerable watercolor portraits of world leaders and prominent figures. But art patronage has survived and thrived in the m...