I don't see how this belittles their work. OP's reverence is evident to me. The more valuable the work, the greater the shame in its absence from the collective canon.
Of course we can't blame the creator for their moat; under our current economic system, it's basic self-defense.
Oh, for f#ck's sake. Such a cheap way to belittle this person's lifework.
Take this bit out and the rest of your comment actually makes sense and could serve as a good discussion point.