Should artists have assistants to make their work?

Apparently this practice is still not widely known to exist. The truth is, its been going on for centuries. Michelangelo, Rembrandt, Moore all had assistants employed to help them complete their work. I'm sure it was needed too given how much they were in demand to produce new work all the time.

Of course, my first reaction to this question posed was 'well I would if I could!' Not many artists have the luxury of actually being in a position where they can employ people to help realise their work on a massive scale.

This is limited to those established variety.

But even if they can afford to employ and even be busy enough to require them in the first instance, does it take away from the work 'they' are creating?

An article in The Guardian a number of years ago by Rose Aidin addresses this issue amongst others:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2003/oct/12/art

Being removed from your work such as Damien Hirst asking assistants to create his spots paintings, is he still the artist then?

The question then i suppose is "What is the 'art' here, the concept or the craft?"

The truth being if I was loaded and wanted to buy one of Hirsts spot paintings I would want to know is was actually created by him and his sweaty little hands, instead of letting his assistants do it while he marches to off to the bank.

But then I suppose its then a brand your buying. Of course I don't expect Gucci or Armani to individually sew all his clothes before trucking them over from the factories himself and selling it directly to me. Maybe then this is how we should see artwork? A label?

But surely this takes away from the uniqueness of the piece; I wouldn't want to buy or view the Mona Lisa and find that everyone on has a version painted by his assistants on every street corner.
So too, the artist should want to get his or her hands dirty no? Personally speaking, its only then you find that concepts, ideas, your craft evolves as you are there developing the piece seeing it grow. Would you get that if you had assistants? Not so sure.