Here is a conversation I had recently about the price of my sculpture ITALIAN SONNET with a fellow Etsyian (???):
Hello Maciek,
I hope this does not come accross as rude, but I was wondering if you could explain why this piece of art costs thousands and thousands of dollars? I read over the description and was intriqued by the thought process and the inspiration behind it, yet still cannot understand the pricing. Is it not for sale? It even stands out, price wise, compaired to the rest of your creations. I am not trying to say the price is unseasonable. I am just thinking that there must be something I am missing about this piece and wondering what it is. Would love to hear more about it!
Sincerely,
Julia
Hi Julia,
No, you are not being rude by the question. I welcome it. And, yes, the price is unreasonable (I assume you meant to write unreasonable and not unseasonable). To be honest I priced the piece for "shock value". It is priced for attention. I certainly don't expect to sell it at such a price. I do believe that the piece has high "art value" but certainly not as high as I priced it. I also believe that this piece will "stand the test of time".
As far as it being for sale, it is. But I really like this piece and I don't know how to price it at this time.
Thank you for your question, it was quite appropriate and I hope I gave an appropriate and logical answer.
Maciek
Hi Maciek,
Thank you for the reply. The piece will definitely stand the test of time with the price like that :) I like it a lot. I almost secretly wished there was something more to it and that is why it was priced that way. Not that I am dissapointed though :) Your wooden sculptures are very interesting too. I love the textures created by the thinner strips of wood. Curious to see more work! Thank you so much again,
Julia
P.S. sorry for the typo
Thinking further about my answer and about my reasons for pricing ITALIAN SONNET the way I did, I remembered one other reason:
I do not want to get screwed the way artists have been getting screwed for centuries. "When, in 1912, one of his paintings: 'La Danseuse a la Barre,' which he had sold for 500 francs, brought the sensational price of 435,000 francs (about $100,000) at the Rouart sale, he remarked, with his usual sarcasm: 'I feel like the horse which, having won the Grand Prix, receives merely his ordinary feed of oats.'"* But Degas was fortunate. He was born into a well-to-do family (his father was a banker) and did not need to sell his art to survive to continue creating art. Degas situation was unlike that of Van Gogh whose poverty was so extreme he could not even afford art materials (a situation I share with this great artist). Often, Vincent van Gogh borrowed money from his brother, Theo, to buy paint and canvas. Just imagine how much poorer the world of art and the Western culture would be if Vincent van Gogh was unable to procure the art supplies he needed to create his many masterpieces.
*Jakob Rosenberg, GREAT DRAUGHTSMEN FROM PISANELLO TO PICASSO.
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