Amazon launches online marketplace to sell fine art worth millions


Our online one-stop-shop for everything just expanded its definition of “everything” to include fine art too. Yes, I’m talking about Amazon.com, and yes, it’s true! Amazon.com, Inc. announced the launch of its art store, which would be an online gallery of sorts, combining assets of over 150 galleries and giving potential buyers and art enthusiasts direct access to more than 40,000 works of fine art from more than 4,500 artists. Amazon Art will be one large compendium of creative works, original and limited edition, for purchase directly from galleries and dealers. The online store’s easy-to-use discovery tools will help open the concept to old-timers and the world of art in general to the new! An insight into the workings of the world’s most prestigious galleries, including Paddle8 in New York, Holden Luntz in Palm Beach, The McLoughlin Gallery in San Francisco, Modernbook in San Francisco, and Catherine Person Gallery in Seattle, will be a click (or few) away.

But what becomes of the society then? Will this herald the death of the art-gallery culture that plays hub to creative chatter? While the news may please many collectors and ease business for many gallery owners, let’s not forget the intellectuals and the socialites who have just as much contributed to the modern-day notions of art and added every dollar that’s deemed to each brushstroke. And as innovation in design has been the pinnacle of any space worthy of an art showcase, sans the artistic aura, the e-store remains shrouded in apprehension.

So, even if the online gallery will allow aficionados access to unique works of art, including photographs from Clifford Ross starting at $200, popular fine art like Andy Warhol’s “Sachiko” for $45,000, historic artwork from Claude Monet including, “L’Enfant a la tasse, portrait de Jean Monet” for $1.45 million and works from iconic artists such as Norman Rockwell’s “Willie Gillis: Package from Home” for $4.85 million, what remains to be seen is how many would actually make any marked purchases through this inartistic expedient (Monet would probably be turning in his grave right now).

[Via – Corporate-ir]

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