> As an added plus: nobody cares how the photographer took the shot. On one leg, in a boat before eaten by a shark, whilst taking a dump, on top of an elephant, whatever. The photo must speak for itself. Just like you check a painting and if you like it at first sight, if it talks to you, then that's a good painting by your standards. So check the painting, do not read any added text. If it's good, it's good. If you need description, then it's not a good shot.
Some people connect with the history and context of a piece.
There's a reason the real Mona Lisa is worth considerably more than even the most faithful reproduction.
Just to be clear: I'm not saying that _you_ have to care about context. Nor that caring about context is good (or bad). I'm just saying that many people do care about context.
People nowadays do not have any means to connect with whatever. They see a picture somewhere and they only see the picture, and maybe the name of the artist. So the piece has to talk for itself.
You can be sure people never actually see the original Mona Lisa, or any other heavily marketed artwork. And in terms of pricing. It's all a game.