The Monet on Amazon might have a buyer -- offline - Los Angeles Times
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The Monet on Amazon might have a buyer -- offline

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The much-publicized $1.45-million Monet listed on Amazon could soon sell, although not through the e-tailer.

Claude Monet’s portrait of his infant son was among the artworks listed last Tuesday when Amazon launched a new section of its site dedicated to fine art.

Within a day, the portrait had garnered a lot of attention from Amazon users, who playfully commented on the million-dollar Monet like it was one of site’s common household wares.

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“For as much as I paid I’m a little upset that this isn’t a new painting. You can see OBVIOUS cracks and I’m worried that the artwork has had several owners before me,†one commenter quipped.

Another added, “Does anyone know if there is a Kindle edition available?â€

The chief executive of M.S. Rau Antiques, the New Orleans store selling the piece, removed the listing late last week as a courtesy after a potential buyer expressed “serious interest.â€

“It had nothing to do with Amazon. They didn’t know it was on Amazon,†Bill Rau said.

The antiques store has about 18 items listed on the e-tailer’s site, which so far has yielded to a “two serious phone calls†and “an incredible amount of stupid comments,†Rau said, including several tied to its $4.85-million Norman Rockwell painting.

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Even without a sale, Rau said putting the high-priced pieces in front of many of Amazon’s 100 million users has value.

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“We’re only paying if it sells,†he said, adding that Amazon then collects a less-than-1% commission.

“When you look at the top digital companies, Amazon is among them,†he said, adding that while time will tell if Amazon is successful in fine art, online sales are a part of any industry, “so why would art be any different than it would be for shoes or computers or anything else?â€

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