The great masters, worked on commission. Most if not all sculptures worth anything where paid for by someone. It was another way to make a living, some guys made candles, others made boats, artists made their living the same way, using their talent at a particular craft to make a living. It would probably be easy to argue…
Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Caravaggio, Jacque Louis David, Gainsborough, Ninjas What do these artists have in common? They all did art on commission to get PAID. I think current artists are doing a great job of progressing the visual art forms.