ART HIST 3S03: Art, Criticism and Humanism

Here is the clip featuring Robert Hughes on the 'Business of Art':

I have suggested that Hughes is motivated by a very traditional view of art which can be traced back to Renaissance humanism. His is the belief that art should not simply serve the immediate interests of the patron and artist but offer something of value to the viewer in return. This is a view predicated upon the belief that art should play a vital role in the improvement of society. The criticism leveled here against the collector / investor (who becomes the arbiter of taste in art) is ultimately driven by concerns over the responsibility of the patron to act in the public interest (ie., to be a 'citizen').