750-900 art essay

Image shows van Gogh’s Portrait of Dr. Gachet, 1st version – purchased for $82.5million, current whereabouts unknown. AHVS300A Summer 2021 Notebook #8 Earlier in the week we talked about provenance and the importance of association with the collector. Today we shifted focus to talk about possession and the desire for ownership of specific works. I’m defining this differently than a general interest in art or broader collecting practices as the pursuit of specific objects requiring extremes of investment (physical activity or a great deal of cash) - stolen or looted works fall within this context. For this assignment find a work of art that changed ownership as the result of a clear act of looting (i.e. no compensation or purchase was made), or was the result of an extraordinary purchase (such as a _very_ large sum of money). Why is there such a desire for ownership? Why is the work considered so compelling? What does this desire for ownership bring to the broader understanding or appreciation of the work? (by this I mean for other people besides the collector) Not to be chosen: the Lumbroski Durers, the bronze horses from San Marco, or the stele of Naram-Sin Please see the general criteria posted with Notebook #1 and the course outline for more details on notebook entries, due dates, and submission guidelines.