Before the 15th century when the printing press was invented, art and literature was only made available to rich individuals who could afford it. The reason the prices were so high is because artists would labor over their peices and it would take months to complete one work. However, with printing, artists were able to create one work and copy it with consistant results. This way they could mass produce one artwork and sell it cheaply, making it so that anyone could easily purchase art for their homes.
