The painters and sculptors surely improved the client, just as we use filters today, everyone wants to look better for posterity.

You're not wrong about that, but society has changed a lot too. Back in those days people were not so open minded and these poor painters struggled most of their lives because their work was judged harshly. Most of them became famous post mortem. Today I can throw some paint on the wall or on a piece of paper and call it a masterpiece and if I can get a few influential people to hype it, I can make money and no one is judging me. Times are changing.