Ende fue la primera mujer artista de la nuestra peninsula ibérica. Quizá fue la primera en Europa. Ilustraba manuscritos en el monasterio de San Salvador de Tábara (en Zamora, Castilla y León) y también pudo haber sido monja… Parece ser que su gran obra, el libro «Beato de Gerona» (del colofón del libro es de donde conocemos su nombre) que es un comentario sobre el Apocalipsis compilado en el 786 A.D. y que se encuentra en la Catedral de Girona… Aqui algunas de sus obras…
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Ende was the first female artist in our Iberian Peninsula. Perhaps she was the first in Europe. She illustrated manuscripts in the monastery of San Salvador de Tábara (in Zamora, Castilla y León) and may also have been a nun… It seems that her major work, the book «Beato de Gerona» (her name is known from the colophon of the book), is a commentary on the Apocalypse compiled in 786 A.D. and is located in the Girona Cathedral… Here are some of her works…
(Ilustraciones del dominio publico/Illustrations from the Public Domain)
Hemos estado fuera de la ciudad y no habíamos podido continuar trayéndoos nuevos capítulos de nuestra serie original «Mujeres artistas» y os pido que nos disculpéis. Ahora retomamos las riendas del carro y queríamos hacerlo con la mujer artista, la primera, de nuestras tierras ibéricas, la iluminadora Ende. Seguiremos con otras grandes mujeres del arte en todas sus manifestaciones: pintoras, fotógrafas y músicas, como también con las que han sido, y las que son, lideres en ámbitos artísticos y empresariales del mundo entero. Gracias…
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We have been out of town and had not been able to bring you new chapters of our original series «Women Artists» and we ask for your forgiveness. Now we take the reins of the carriage again and we wanted to do it with the woman artist, the first one, from our Iberian lands, the illuminator Ende. We will continue with other great women of art in all its forms: painters, photographers, and musicians, as well as those who have been, and those who are, leaders in artistic and business fields worldwide. Thank you…
Esta si es una de mis favoritas y una de las grandes pintoras del mundo. Lamentablemente en España no llegó a conocerse tanto como en México y la America Latina, pero hay que conocer bien su obra. Aquí os doy una pequeña introducción pero os urjo a buscar mas. Esta gran pintora catalana no lo tuvo nada fácil pues sufrió muchos horrores como la Guerra Mundial, la Guerra Civil, el exilio en México, pues siempre mantuvo su nacionalidad española, y al fin cuando comenzó a abrirse caminos en el arte, sufrió un infarto y murió. Así es la vida…
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Remedios Varo is one of my favourite artists and as well one of the great female artists of the world. Unfortunately in Spain she was not very well known, but in México she became quite famous. Here I offer you a rather brief introduction, but I truly urge you to look for more of her work which is incredible. This great Catalan artist did not have an easy life. She suffered through WWI, the Spanish Civil War, and an exile in México, as she always maintained her Spanish citizenship. When finally her career started to grow and develop, she suffered a heart attack and died. Such is life…
(De Peter A. Juley & SonFlickr uploaderSmithsonian Institution from United States – Selma Burke, American sculptor, 1900-1995, in her studio)
Una gran artista femenina que, lamentablemente y aunque ha hechos cosas históricas, no se le ha dado el reconocimiento merecido. Esto tiene que cambiar, y aquí estamos para poner nuestro granito de arena para dar a conocer a muchas mujeres artistas que hay que conocerlas y darles su lugar en los museos del mundo.
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A great female artist that, lamentably and although she has done historical things, is not recognised as she should be. This trend has to change and I am here to do whatever I can to change it and to give women artists the recognition that they deserve and demand that they should be placed in the museums of the world.
This is certainly part of Art History, although it doesn’t really have much to do with the professional, philosophical and profound aspect of art. After all Art is an academic subject one studies at university, right? Well, a lot of these artists said they did not need that, all they needed was some paint, a canvas and a couple of brushes. Would Engineers, Medical Doctors, Dentists, Lawyers and other professions say that amateurs pretending to be engineers, doctors, dentists and lawyers be the same as the ones that have suffered through 4 to 6 years of uni training?
And don’t get me wrong, I love Grandma Moses and Henri Rousseau. I don’t think much of some of the others, especially Frida Kahlo. You see, she is taken as an icon of women’s liberation, or feminism, but if you read her published diary and any other articles or books…very few…written about her, you will realise that she was definitely no feminist. She was a submissive woman who suffered gratuitously at the hands of an abusive husband and she still held him at the highest standard. That is not what a feminist believes and it is not how a feminist acts. So, especially if you are a fan of this artist, let me know what you think…
Well, here is my version of Naive Art. I do enjoy a lot of it…
(«Las tres»/Francisco Bravo Cabrera/All Rights Reserved)
These three are very interesting and quite different in style and approach to their creative process. I think they are a great special edition to this series of «Art History in One Minute (videos)«.
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(«Portrait of Ophelia as a Magritte Painting»/Bodo Vespaciano/All Rights Reserved)
The Art World Today: Failed, Advancing, or Stagnant?
The art world is not failed, but neither static: it is going through a deep transformation, with clear stagnation at the “super-sales” level, alongside growing dynamism at more accessible tiers, driven by new generations, emerging regions, and technology. Here’s a detailed overview:
Decline at the High-End Market
In 2024, the global art market fell 12%, reaching around USD 57.5 billion.
Works above USD 10 million dropped sharply: both volume and value fell between 39–45%.
Resale returns are at their lowest point in 20 years: more than half sell at a loss.
Traditional auction houses, especially in London, face difficulties with plunging sales and profits.
Ultra-high-value art investments lost appeal: sales of works over USD 10 million fell 44%, and art’s share in wealthy portfolios shrank from 24% to 15% (2022–2024).
In short: the luxury tier is stagnating or declining.
Renewal at Accessible Levels
Total transactions actually rose 3%, driven by small works (<USD 5,000).
The mid-market (USD 100k–1 million) is holding strong and shows potential.
Affordable art segments grew in both value and number: low-cost works rose up to 7% in revenue and 13% in lots sold.
Online sales now make up 18–20% of the total, with many new buyers entering this way.
This shows a democratization of the market, with broader access and participation.
New Protagonists: Generations, Regions, and Formats
Millennials and Gen Z are reshaping the market: they dominate auctions, buy for cultural value more than investment, and prefer authenticity and transparency.
Diversity is accelerating: emerging artists — especially women and creators from Africa, Latin America, and Southeast Asia — are gaining visibility.
Geography is shifting: U.S. leads (~43%), U.K. rebounds (~18%), China collapses (~31%), while the Middle East, India, and Africa gain traction.
Fairs like Art Basel Paris and Liste Basel highlight focus on emerging talent.
This global recalibration suggests a more inclusive and culturally rooted future.
Technology, Innovation, and Immersive Art
Immersive art — interactive, multi-sensory formats — is on the rise, from Tokyo to immersive exhibitions like LOWRY 360.
NFTs and digital art are evolving: less speculation, more emphasis on curation, authenticity, and artistic value.
Digital platforms and AI are opening new paths in creation, pricing analysis, and accessibility.
Technology isn’t replacing art but expanding it.
Voices from the Art Community
On forums like Reddit, artists and gallerists stress the fatigue of the traditional market, post-COVID financial strain, and a disconnect between contemporary art and collectors:
“It’s been the worst couple of years for many artists… I showed 23 new paintings and only sold two…” Calls for transparency and decentralization are rising: “democratize art and make it part of the community, with reasonable prices.”
Conclusion: Failed, Advancing, or Stagnant?
Not failed, but the elite tier is struggling.
Advancing in breadth: more transactions, new buyers, greater accessibility.
Transforming, driven by new regions, younger generations, technology, and values like inclusion and sustainability.
The art world is restructuring its center, shifting from the spectacular to the meaningful, from speculative to authentic.
These are facts, and supposedly the opinion of «experts» (good grief experts!) who offer opinions according to who knows what «expertise». Most of these so-called experts are not artists but «analysts», who, like the talking heads that want to interpret the news for us, want to tell us that what they think is the truth.
In my opinion the art world, per se, does not exist any more. It is the art business (as you can tell by the facts provided above). Artists today have an opportunity to set their own pace as successful outsiders. No one needs a gallery any more if one knows how to use the internet to advantage. Your gallery is the world wide web and your collectors come from all over the world. You set your prices, you create your trends, you develop your style and if you are successful, well, then it is your new «vanguard of the 21st Century».
And yes, digital programmes and AI are tools and if one is wise one will use them wisely and create. There is no stopping the creative process so do not be afraid of technology. Just do not get sold on fads and on those who laud and applaud mediocre and bad artists.
One from the 17th Century and one from the 18th to 19th Centuries, but both phenomenal artists. VALENCIARTIST has featured something very important that occurred recently reference one of the paintings of one of these artists Aniella di Beltrano… I hope you enjoy this special edition of the «Art History in One Minute (videos)» limited series…
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