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FIND OUT MORE. Drawing 322 • Painting 320–321 • Sculpture 323

324 Arts and Entertainment

Artists

Artists are people who create art. Although some of them have no formal

training, most great artists have studied art. Today artists can study at art

schools, but in the past they learned by apprenticeship, working with more

experienced artists. Every culture and period of history has its great artists.

GALLERIES

A gallery is an exhibition space where works of art are shown.

Galleries show all sorts of art and craft – including painting,

sculpture, ceramics, installations, video, and photography. They can

be public institutions (which are like museums) or privately owned.

WHERE DO ARTISTS WORK?

Most artists have a studio – a room or other place

where they make their art. Many also work outside.

For example, landscape painters might make sketches

in the open air, and complete the work in their

studio. Other artists work mainly in the landscape,

completing paintings outside, or creating land art

within the natural environment.

HOW DO ARTISTS EARN A LIVING?

Sometimes artists receive commissions (orders) for

work from a patron – an individual or an institution.

Sometimes existing work is bought by an individual,

an institution, or a. GALLERY. Earning a living

as an artist is not easy. Vincent van Gogh (1853–

1890), whose works now sell for vast sums of

money, sold hardly any paintings during his lifetime.

DO ALL GALLERIES BUY AND SELL ART?

Privately owned commercial galleries sell the works

they exhibit. This type of gallery often specializes in

certain types of art – such as contemporary art, or

traditional landscape painting. Public galleries acquire

works of art to add to their permanent collections –

not to sell, but to show to the public.

1 THE ARTIST'S STUDIO, JAN VERMEER, C. 1665

This Dutch artist (1632–1675) gives us a glimpse of how

and where he worked. Seated at his easel, he paints a

female model, who poses as Clio, the muse of history.

1 PABLO PICASSO MIXING PAINTS IN HIS STUDIO

Some artists become celebrities. One of the most versatile and

influential artists of the 20th century was the Spanish painter

Picasso (1881–1973), who became a world-famous personality.

1 BARBARA HEPWORTH CARVING IN WOOD

The achievement of women artists has often been

overlooked. The British sculptor Hepworth (1903–1975)

was one of the most famous artists of the 20th century.

1 SURROUNDED ISLANDS

Christo and Jeanne-Claude

surrounded these Florida islands in

1983 with floating pink fabric.

1 METROPOLITAN MUSEUM

In this tour at the Metropolitan

Museum in New York City, a

guide shows visitors around the

different galleries and explains

the history of the paintings.

LOCATION MAJOR GALLERIES

London National Gallery, Tate, Victoria & Albert Museum

Madrid Prado

New York Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art

Paris Louvre, Musée d'Art Moderne, Musée d'Orsay

Rome Vatican Museums

GREAT GALLERIES OF THE WORLD

artists