Why do the reputations of some artists go into eclipse immediately after their deaths, while others leave obscurity behind and become household names? In this week’s Wall Street Journal “Sightings” column, I take a look at what I call the Death Effect, and consider its wide-ranging impact on the posthumous reputations of Béla Bartók, George MacDonald Fraser, Oscar Peterson, and Johannes Vermeer.
To find out more, pick up a copy of the Saturday Journal and turn to the “Weekend Journal” section, or go here to read my column online.
Terry Teachout on the arts in New York City
