Fine Art: Where can I buy art?

Where can I buy art?


Whether you are searching for modern and contemporary art, antiques or crafts and design, you have an unlimited selection of sources to choose from.

Here are some of our tips on where to buy art:

Galleries


Most major urban and cosmopolitan cities have a large number of galleries to chose from.  In fact, you are able to find specialist galleries in different niches of the art market - from antique art to photography to paintings, from conceptual art to figurative art to abstract art.  You are able find out what the gallery’s specialty is by visiting them or checking out their Website.  

Art business is a very risky business, so most galleries have a very short life span.  Since art usually costs a lot of money, it may be important to ensure that the gallery has been in business for a while and to ensure that they will be there in the future.

Online Art Galleries


With the onset of Internet, there are a large number of online art galleries, to buy art from.  The advantages are clear – you are able to choose from an unprecedented number of artists and artworks.  However, you may be missing out on the experience of viewing the artwork in person.  In this case, if the Website offers you a comfortable money-back / return guarantee, you should actually be able to view the artwork in person and at the convenience of your home or work.

As with the physical galleries, it is important to ensure that the Website is credible and has been in the business for a while.  

Art Fairs


Similar to galleries, most big cities have annual art fairs.  Some cities like New York, London and Paris, actually have specialized art fairs, covering photography, graphic prints, etc.  The largest art fairs these days are:  Art Basel, Art Basel Miami, Freeze, and The Armory Show.

The advantage of visiting the art fairs is that they bring together a large number of art galleries and dealers.  As a result you have the choice to buy art from around the world.  The disadvantages might be that you will not be able to know much about the dealer or the gallery who may disappear the next year.  Additionally, the fairs are only there for a couple of days so you do not have the time to really decide whether you like the artwork or not.  Hence, it may be a good idea to visit the art fairs from the perspective of exploring, learn about the artists and artworks that interest you and see if you can buy the art at a later date.

Auction Houses


Auction houses, such as Sotheby’s and Christies, are an excellent source to buy older artworks, such as pre-20th century artworks.  Since auction houses primarily sell pre-owned artworks, i.e. secondary market art, the prices of contemporary pieces is usually higher.  It is important to understand how art auction houses work, so that you are making an appropriate purchasing decision.  Our editors have aggregated some tips to make the best of your art buying decision at auction houses.

Online Auctions


One of the key aspects of buying art is ensuring the authenticity and the selection criterion on the gallery.  Since the quality of art and its price should be approved by an expert, purchasing art through a Website, that does not adapt these criterion, may not be a good idea.  

Recommended Links


Before beginning your search for your next artwork, we invite you to explore and see for yourself the wide variety of artists and artworks available:

Paintings

Graphic Prints

Art Photography

Sculpture


Abstract Art

Figurative Art


American Art

British Art

French Art


Spanish Art


German Art


Italian Art

Scandanavian


Belgian


Japanese Art

Chinese Art

Indian Art

Australian Art

Mexican Art

Brazilian Art

Argentinian Art  

Directory of Art Galleries

Directory of Art Fairs