ABSTRACT
The commonsense idea of how culture is produced emphasizes the individual. One story has the artist, like a shaman in a premodern society, partaking of the sacred: the artist and the art are divinely inspired. Another narrative, which gained credence with the growth of individualism in the nineteenth century, imagines the artist as romantic hero – a person of genius, alienated from society, toiling alone in a garret to create a great work. Both these images emphasize the artist’s unique vision, talent, and work. Both neglect the activities of multitudes of less distinguished individuals who make their living doing art work. Neither view is sociologically informed.
