The economics of art isn’t a new problem. One example is that of the painter Paul Gauguin’s final exhibition in Paris. The paintings he created in the Marquesas Islands are now considered masterpieces, but during his last show, 85 percent did not sell. Just 7 of his 49 pieces found a buyer. For much of his career, he was broke. And he wasn’t the first, or last, artist to find himself in that position.
