Whether buying a work for your home or office, there are a few things you’ll need to know in order to determine the perfect work for the space. It is well known that art has positive impacts on your brain chemistry so you’ll want to make sure you are making an informed decision the next time you are looking to build your collection.
More often than not, finding the perfect work is what excites collectors the most.
Our team has put together a simple guide for you to follow the next time you are in the market.
Steps
Reading a listing
When you begin your journey to finding your next perfect work, you’ll come across many artwork listing pages. These pages will contain all the most important information about the work, there are however three key pieces of information to look for.
- Size
A key piece of information you’ll need is the size of the work. How will this work fit in with your other pieces? Does this work fit above the bed, or can it only be displayed in the hallway? How many pieces will I need to move around for this one to fit?
An important addition to this is to consider if the work is framed or not. Working out the size of the piece first will help inform your curation needs. Our team is able to provide guidance and advice on how best to approach this.
- Description
Many listings will provide a description of the work, the artist, and likely a small section on the thoughts or inspiration behind the work. This information can be really helpful in getting to know the artist you are about to buy. Our team is available to provide more in depth information and context for the artists we work with to help you make an informed decision.
- Price
Arguably the most important piece of information on a work is the price. The total price of the work won’t always include taxes or relevant duties depending on where in the world you are buying from. If you need clarification on any of this, please reach out to our team.
Quality of work
To assess the quality of the work you are considering there are three key indicators. Primarily pictures, provenance, and profile.
- Pictures
Utilise the pictures provided of the work to assess the quality of work, be it the condition you are looking at, its age and colour, how well it has been stored. You will even be able to see if there are signatures on the works in many cases. These pictures are vital to making an informed decision. For works that are consigned to our Gallery we will be able to provide more pictures on request.
- Provenance
The provenance of the work is its history of ownership. This information can come from a variety of sources, especially on the secondary market. For more information on the provenance of the piece you are considering please see the “Provenance” tab on the artwork listing, or feel free to reach out to our team for more information.
- Profile
The profile of the artist is an important consideration. You might be interested to learn about their artistic background, if they have qualifications in Fine Art from a notable institution, or have been exhibited in group or solo shows. For more information, please contact our team.
How to display it
Displaying your new work can be a tricky process, there are many variables to consider including space, lighting, and position amongst your other works. Our team is happy to advise on the positioning of your work along with all aspects of displaying your work. For works that are being framed by our supplier we will consult with you on what glazing works best for your needs and budget.
If you require assistance in the overall curation of your collection please reach out to our team.