Amazon Art marketplace is the latest venture of the 19 year old online retailer who actually sells anything and everything right from luxury fashion to luxury cruise with rare diamond and flying car in between. Amazon or its founder Jeff Bezos has been in the news for buying the iconic News paper the Washington Post for $250 million in an all cash deal. Bezos has bought the publishing company with all its publishing assets in a personal capacity and Amazon is not involved in the acquisition. Amazon which had started as a bookseller has been diversifying and expanding consistently and by getting into fine art it will surely enhance its appeal further. The Amazon Art will market works from galleries in Miami, San Francisco, New York and other US cities.
The Site is Currently Showcasing 40,000 Works of Fine Art
The site is already showcasing over 40,000 works from over 150 galleries and dealers. It is a well curated collection that covers a vast gamut of subjects, genre and period. Apart from canvases there are drawings, prints, and photographs. It is the first time that such a large number of art works is available at one place. You can never hope to get such variety at one place. Peter Faricy, vice president of the Amazon Marketplace, believes that the platform enables the galleries to connect to millions of customers and present the passion and expertise of their artists. For the large customer base of Amazon also it is a good opportunity to connect to art.
The Most Expensive Painting Carries a Price Tag of $4.85 Million
The huge collection of art has been divided and subdivided in terms of medium i.e. drawings, photographs, prints or subject like abstract, nautical, “the body”, style, like Realism, Impressionism, 19th-century and even size, frame and color. There is something for everyone. The cheapest article is $44 canvass of a cat portrait and the most expensive is Norman Rockwell’s “Willie Gillis: Package from Home,” which carries a price tag of $4.85 million. Out of the 40,000 works on display 503 are priced below $100 and 2,517pieces are priced over $10,000. This initiative will also help grow the revenues of Amazon but lately the gigantic retailer has been losing money despite an increase in the turnover. It is obvious that they believe in the theory that if they continue growing their revenues the profits will automatically come.
