The New York Times: When the Artist-Patron Relationship Becomes Friendly

Collectors buy the work of a living artist in depth, and those transactions sometimes can sow the seeds of a friendship.

Collectors and artists are involved in a financial transaction: Money changes hands for an artwork, usually through a third party like a dealer. There is no requirement for the two parties to know each other, or even meet.

But art — arbitrary, personal and passion-fueled — sometimes brings the two parties together in ways they did not expect, especially when collectors buy the work of a living artist in depth.

When friendships develop, modern-day Medicis have a chance to engage in the creative life, and artists get steady patrons who can make them feel better understood. The art may even grow as a result.