How is "art for the Christian home" different from art for any home?
Art for the Christian home reminds viewers of God, the beauty of the created world, and the dignity of the human being, made in God's image. It reminds us of our place in this world and in the next, and strengthens us for the love of God and neighbor. Art for the Christian home includes much art that would be found in any home--landscapes, portraits, still life, and abstract pieces. It also certainly includes art that carries explicitly religious themes--portraits of Christ, the Blessed Virgin Mary, and the saints, as well as churches and religious objects. The content of the art as well as the purpose to which it is put defines the art as art for the Christian home.
Why do the artist biographies note the average auction value for the artist's work?
Many people who value art are hesitant to spend any significant amount of money on it. They recognize the beauty of a piece but still are inclined to see a purchase as money lost. Among married couples, one spouse might be eager to buy while the other feels a purchase is financially unjustified given other household needs. We state artists' average auction prices to indicate that the art we sell has a publicly recognized monetary value. One can never be absolutely certain that an artist's works will hold their value indefinitely, but an artist's auction record provides some assurance that a piece can be later resold. Auction prices for an artist's work are not a declaration of his or her actual artistic merit, but they serve to remind us that, like most things we esteem, art has a monetary value.
How do you set your price for a piece of artwork?
Maplewood Fine Art aims for a price well below retail gallery price. Exactly where a price falls depends on the demand for the artist's work, how much I paid for the work, how long I have offered it for sale, and my assessment of the work's artistic merit, especially in comparison to the artist's other works for which a market value has been determined.