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.
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Dante Gabriel Rossetti was an English painter from the 1800's.
The Proserpine is an Oil on Canvas from 1874 and it is said to reflect the artist's personal life and state of mind: he most likely suffered from depression (that is why the expression is sad). He had a nervous breakdown just a few years before creating this painting.
