Why are Pablo Picasso paintings worth so much?
There are several forces at work here. First, Picasso was arguably THE master of the modernist period. He managed to work in a variety of media and in a variety of styles. At times he did cubism, impressionism, neoclassicism, surrealism, and his own little genres like the blue period. He did fabulous sculpture as well as painting and other 2-D media. Second, his work is highly regarded. Third, his originals are rare and so they increase in value–just like any of the old masters’ works will increase. Fourth, there’s an art market that depends on ever-increasing values for paintings like his. Sotheby’s and the collectors who care only about return on the dollar are feuling that aspect.
