Throughout history, commissioned artwork was limited to the upper class, including governments and rulers who often commissioned public art to demonstrate power, wealth, and political influence.
The Roman Colosseum
The Colosseum was commissioned by Emperor Vespasian in 72 AD. Large architectural projects were commissioned as symbols of imperial glory.
The Last Supper
Leonardo da Vinci was commissioned to paint The Last Supper for the renovations of the Convent of Santa Maria delle Grazie by Ludovico Sforza, Duke of Milan.
The Sistine Chapel
Pope Julius II commissioned Michelangelo to paint the twelve apostles on the ceiling of The Sistine Chapel.
Michelangelo negotiated a larger composition depicting nine passages from the Book of Genesis and including 343 figures. It took him four years to complete, from 1508-1512, with contributions from other artists including Botticelli and Domenico Ghirlandaio.
Guernica
Pablo Picasso was commissioned by the Spanish Republican government to create a large mural for the Spanish pavilion at the 1937 Paris World’s Fair to help raise awareness of the Spanish Civil War.
While doing preliminary work on his piece, “Guernica, the most ancient town of the Basques and the centre of their cultural tradition, was completely destroyed … by insurgent air raiders.” Appalled by the bombings, Picasso changed his focus, completing the new painting in 35 days.
Guernica is considered an important political statement and one of the most iconic anti-war images of the twentieth century.
The Painting Commission 