The economics of art history

Abstract

The study of art history has been traditionally focused on the description of artistic innovations, the role of the artists and the meaning of the artworks. It has often neglected the broader reasons why certain innovations took place in certain places, in specific times and in particular ways. We believe that the impact of institutional and economic factors has been critical in shaping the evolution of art history, and quantitative methods can be useful to improve our understanding of the history of figurative arts and the relationship between market structure and creativity.