Artist, Authorship and Legacy: A Reader

This anthology of interdisciplinary essays examines the interlocking themes of artistic authorship, authenticity and legacy from legal, art market and art historical perspectives. It is structured in three sections: Authorship and Artists’ Rights; The Artwork, Aura, and Authentication; Legacy and Its Stewards.

The book addresses how artistic authorship is iterated over time by various figures, from the artist to the artist’s heirs to art experts. It is through the law that artists’ rights of authorship are articulated and tested against collectors, dealers, museums and even against other artists and photographers. It is increasingly through the law that conflicts are being resolved in the art market, as it expands (at least at the high end, and despite short-term dips across the world) and as artistic production dramatically increases to meet demand.