REAL VALUE: ABSTRACTLY EXPRESSED (FAIR TRADE, TRUE WORTH, FADS AND FACTS)

Our current ad ruminates on the issue of artistic merit. Without prejudice to taste, technique, or a multitude of other tangible and intangible factors that can affect the price of a particular objet d'art, we personally would argue strenuously that the disparity in pricing between Mark Rothko's "Untitled #17" and the equally unique, anonymously produced "Handmade Persian Rug" is too broad and, if realistic for the painting, grossly unfair to the rug.
As a suggested "equalizer", we could propose a "Look for Less Challenge", and invite all takers to attempt individually to create a reasonable copy of Mr. Rothko's opus along with the more humbly estimated rug. We suggest that such an effort would confirm the incredible value in the rug -- if the price of the Rothko piece (fetched at auction) is a true estimate of value.