The role of artists in the late eighteenth century British art market: the case of Johan Zoffany (1733-1810)

Abstract

This thesis was developed from studying the art market operating mechanism, which begins with the creation of artworks and concludes with their display in museums. It was observed that existing research on artists within the art market is limited, with most studies of artists written biographically and art historically. Only one known study has examined artists' activities in the context of the broader art trade, and that research, conducted over forty years ago, focused on a mid eighteenth-century British artist who operated within a less developed market, and with less information available to consider than for Johan Zoffany (1733-1810). This dissertation aims to build upon that earlier work using a broader range of sources and additional data, thereby encouraging further research into how artists operated within and influenced the market.
The dissertation analyses Zoffany among rival contemporary artists, focusing on the strategies he used to grow his market and to prosper. It does so through six chapters chiefly considering his direct and indirect earning opportunities. These include commissions of his artwork, the collections he built, his role as an advisor or dealer, which of his works were engraved and sold as prints, and the market for his work after his death.
Key questions include: How did Zoffany build his market across a diverse range of patrons and subject matter in Britain and abroad? What art did he buy and sell, primarily to inspire or support his career? What kind of advice did he offer collectors, and how did he earn from it? How did he use engravings to promote and profit from his paintings? And how has the market for his work evolved after his death, and what does that say about his legacy?
The methodology draws on art market studies, business management, economics, sociology, philosophy, and law, applied to the constraints of what can be known about Zoffany and the art market more than two centuries ago. Both quantitative and qualitative information were applied to the analysis, including patron payments, exhibition records, critical writing, auction catalogues, biographical history, bank account records, newspaper references, and exhibition and museum data. The analysis of patron payments to Zoffany and his artistic rivals, along with bank records of supplier payments and newspaper articles tracing his posthumous market, offer a novel contribution to art market studies.
The dissertation demonstrates that it is possible to make sense of an artist’s career even as far back as the eighteenth century—and potentially earlier—provided that enough information is available and carefully analysed. In the case of Zoffany, it is clear that he developed and applied his artistic talent and related skills within a growing art market, both domestically and internationally, in order to earn a good living and secure his place in art history. This suggests that future studies of artists, as well as other art market participants such as dealers, can offer valuable insights into their activities in relation to the broader market. Such research will deepen our understanding of how the art market functions and promotes itself across different times and places.