The Legal and Social Status of the Artist as a Professional
This article examines how the concept of the artist as a professional has changed, tracing its roots from Florentine guilds to contemporary legal standards. In the past, figures such as Paolo Uccello, Giotto, and Masaccio were grouped with doctors and apothecaries. In the late 1980s, economists Bruno Frey and Werner Pommerehne suggested ways to define artists. Eliot Freidson pointed out the contradiction between art's economic separation and its market integration. Sociologist Mariselda Trasforini considers artists as social agents, while Howard Becker views them within a system of collective action in the art world. Unlike Germany, which excels in contract models, Italy lacks a formal legal definition for artists. Since 1992, Canada has recognized professional artists, and UNESCO's definition from 1980 highlights the importance of creation and acknowledgment. The EU's resolution from 2007 advocates for legal frameworks for artists.
Key facts
- Historical artists like Paolo Uccello, Giotto, and Masaccio belonged to the Florentine guild of doctors and apothecaries.
- Bruno Frey and Werner Pommerehne proposed criteria for artist professionalism in the late 1980s.
- Eliot Freidson noted the tension between art's inestimable value and its market necessity.
- Mariselda Trasforini defines the artist as a social actor negotiating identity.
- Howard Becker views artists as part of a collective action system called the art world.
- Germany's Verdi union provides advanced contract models for artists.
- In 2010, a group of artists drafted contract models published in 'I contratti degli artisti' (2012).
- Canada has had a professional statute for artists since 1992.
- UNESCO defined the artist in 1980 as a person who creates or recreates works of art.
- The EU adopted a resolution in 2007 to establish a social statute for artists.
Entities
Artists
- Paolo Uccello
- Giotto
- Masaccio
- Bruno Frey
- Werner Pommerehne
- Eliot Freidson
- Mariselda Trasforini
- Howard Becker
- Alessandro Nassiri
- Linda Fregni Nagler
- Antonio Rovaldi
- Maddalena Fragnito
- Ettore Favini
- Chiara Camoni
- Luca Bertolo
- Alessandra Donati
- Anna Pirri Valentini
Institutions
- Artribune
- Università di Milano-Bicocca
- NABA - Nuova Accademia delle Belle Arti di Milano
- Giappichelli
- Verdi – Honorar – und Tarifkommission
- UNESCO
- European Union
Locations
- Italy
- Germany
- Canada
- Florence
- Milan