Elitism in art has existed since (literally) the dark ages. What was considered to be art, and good art, was dictated by pharos, emporers, the church, patrons. Even communism didn’t democratize the valuation of art: bureaucrats simply replaced private collectors. Capitalism and free market trade did even less: not the collector and connoisseur, but rather the curator, the magazine editor, the museum collections manager now determine the price of works.
