Not so long ago many famous artists, whose works command millions of dollars for a single piece, had difficulty earning enough to feed themselves during their lifetime. They were mostly unheard of by the masses and many, like Munch who painted The Scream, were from Northern Europe. It is from this region too that another artist has more recently emerged, one Leonard Afremov. The difference between them and him is that he lives today with all the modern advantages. So who is he and how good are his works? His background and reputation tell the story.

Afremov was born in Vitebsk, Belarus, near the border with Russia and Latvia, in 1955. It is nearby to where another artist, Marc Chagall, who is world renown as one of the most successful artists of the 20th Century lived with his parents and eight siblings. His unique career saw him achieve success in virtually every artistic medium, including paintings, book illustrations, stained glass, stage sets, ceramics, tapestries and fine art prints. As a pioneer of modernism he is responsible for some of the best loved and most creative works of our time.

Both Afremov and Chagall were born of Jewish parents and the latter joined in the Russian Revolution of 1917 after suffering the persecution dished out to his kind in previous years. The Soviet Ministry of Culture appointed him Commissar of Art for the Vitebsk region, He founded the Vietbsk Museum of Modern Art as well as an art school. Politically he did not fare so well, however, and was considered a non-person by the Soviets due to his Jewish religion. This coupled with his paintings failing to support Soviet heroics was enough for him to move to Paris in 1922.

It was from the Vitebsk Art School that Afremov graduated in 1978 as one of its elite members. He notes that he tried many different types of art but fell in love with oils and painting only with a pallet knife. He notes of himself that "every artwork is the result of long painting process; every canvas is born during the creative search; every painting is full of my inner world." With so much going for him he moved to Israel and them to the USA. He now lives in Florida and sells his works to the world through galleries, where he is highly respected. He states through his web site that: "Each of my paintings brings different mood, colors and emotions. I love to express the beauty, harmony and spirit of this world in my paintings. My heart is completely open to art."

How times have changed. Not so long ago one would have needed to travel to see his works, that's if we even knew of him, but all we need now to see them is the Internet, which may never replace the gallery but is still worthwhile as a market place for paintings. They come alive through the browser where techniques even brush strokes, are often discernible. The colors are outstanding and the designs amazing and people are drawn to them.

The Internet allows artists like Afremov to have a virtual global Gallery which, like so many of his kind, fulfills their dreams without major costs being associated with sales. It is not always so cut and dried, however, as fraudsters also sell art this way and there are no real checks and balances for the novice buyer to measure the quality of what they are looking at or even buying. The real test would be the claims associated with it. If reported to be from a master artist then suspicion would be warranted. If from a working artist, like Afremov, then there are ways to discover the facts about it.

If an artist is worthwhile one can do a background check and discover most things about him or her before dealing with them. It pays to know who they are and where they come from before purchasing anything and, while it might not be foolproof, the Internet is a great tool for that purpose if used correctly. If they have good reputations and are exhibiting quality works they will be known online.

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