Commission
A commission in art is when an individual or group requests a specific piece of work from a particular artist. It involves formal signing of contracts wherein details like the specific topic of the aesthetic piece, dimensions, materials to be employed, and timelines are elaborated. From its inception, commissions have been known practices to accompany art history and were particularly prominent during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Wealthy patrons, churches, and royalty frequently commissioned great artists, for example, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Peter Paul Rubens, who enjoyed these commissions’ great appeal.
Through the very definition of art commissioning, the client is offered the opportunity to create to their specifications with absolute surety of having a piece of art that embodies the commissioner's imagination. This process is often diagrammatic and consists of multiple meetings between the artist and client where ideas, drafts, and timelines are set and followed. Today, the practice of commissions is still very much alive and continues to be practiced by many contemporary artists across a myriad range from painting, sculpture, digital and installation art, aimed at achieving a multitude of clients who want custom pieces for private collections, public places or events. This way, people get involved in the process by commissioning art and possess custom-made ones that are specially relevant to them while at the same time supporting the artists.
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