Contracting Creativity

Ennio Emanuele Piano and Clara E. Piano
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Ennio Emanuele Piano: Middle Tennessee State University

No 6mkp7, SocArXiv from Center for Open Science

Abstract: For centuries, the production and exchange of Renaissance paintings took place under a commission system. Disagreements arose between patrons and artists over what the finished product should look like. In such circumstances, the patron may try to impose restrictions on the artist’s creative freedom. We study contractual solutions to creative disagreements in Renaissance art markets using a sample of 90 commission documents (1285-1530). We investigate the determinants of creative freedom by comparing the length of the description of the final painting with a number of variables capturing painter-, patron-, and commission-specific characteristics. Our results suggest that corporate patrons are positively associated with creative freedom as compared to individual patrons. We also find evidence that the reputation of the painter (at commission) and larger compensations are negatively associated with creative freedom.

Date: 2022-04-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-cul
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:osf:socarx:6mkp7

DOI: 10.31219/osf.io/6mkp7

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