ESL Lesson Plan What Makes Art So Expensive?

In this B2 ESL lesson plan, students explore the fascinating world of expensive art and ask the question: what actually makes a piece of art valuable? They begin by discussing famous artworks and considering how much they would be willing to pay for them.

Students then read an article about Leonardo da Vinci’s $450 million painting, exploring how an artist’s reputation, rarity, provenance, competition, and investment potential can affect the price of art. They practise reading comprehension while developing useful vocabulary connected to the value and history of artwork.

The lesson also includes a listening task about Maurizio Cattelan’s Comedian, exploring why someone paid $6.2 million for a banana taped to a wall. Students consider the role of reputation, rarity, publicity, controversy, and ideas in determining the value of art.