"To my mind the old masters are not art; their value is in their scarcity"

Thomas A. Edison's quote suggests that the old masters of art are not always valuable because of their creative merit, however rather since of their rarity. He suggests that the shortage of these works of art is what makes them important. This might be analyzed as a criticism of the art world, as it recommends that the worth of art is identified by its rarity rather than its quality. It could likewise be seen as a talk about the commodification of art, as it suggests that the value of art is identified by its market price instead of its artistic merit. Edison's quote could also be viewed as a cautioning to art collectors, as it recommends that the worth of art is figured out by its scarcity and not its quality. Eventually, Edison's quote suggests that the worth of art is determined by its rarity, not its creative merit.