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The Status Of The Artist

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Chapter 3: Artist/Patron who had the most the most power in the relationship? To establish the power of art we must also consider what kind of power the artist held. There is much controversy surrounding this topic, with highly varying opinions from different historians, so much so that Evelyn Welch comes to the conclusion that a generalisation on the issue of the status of the artist, in this relationship, cannot be defined without ignoring significant evidence. This chapter will consider the evolution of the status of the artist throughout the period by analysing specific examples to show the disparity between artists of the same era and come to a conclusion about who had the most power in the relationship. Artists’ power varied greatly depending on who they were, what stage of their career they were at, and what time they practiced their art. For example Filippo Lippi when writing to Giovanni Cosimo de’ Medici admitted that “[he was his] servant.” This self-deprecating statement provides insight into this artist’s perception of himself and relationship with his patron. In this instance Lippi requests additional funding for higher quality materials, before stating that he will follow Giovanni’s every instruction, without deviation. Clearly when considering this commission it is clear that it was the patron Giovanni who held the most power. Comparing this with Donatello’s outburst, when he destroyed a bust of a client who tried to underpay, demonstrates the wide

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