Why Do Corporations Buy Art?

Corporate lobbies and board rooms are often graced with impressive art, but why? What’s the rationale behind this expense, and what impact does it have on the rest of the art world? We look at the history of corporate collecting, starting with Chase Manhattan Bank in 1959, trace its meteoric rise since, and work through the reasoning behind it.

 

Cite this page as: The Art Assignment, "Why Do Corporations Buy Art?," in Smarthistory, April 6, 2020, accessed October 7, 2024, https://smarthistory.org/why-do-corporations-buy-art/.