how to buy art
A plain-English guide to buying original art for the first time: budget, what to ask an artist, commissioning and framing.
buy what you’ll actually live with
There’s no single right way to buy art. This is the practical version: the questions worth asking before you spend anything. If you’d rather have someone do the legwork, see Personal Curator.
the basics
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Decide what you’re comfortable spending before you start looking. Original art spans a huge range, and a clear budget narrows the search fast.
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Treat it as something to live with, not a financial investment. Some work appreciates, most doesn’t, and nobody can reliably predict which.
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Ask about the materials used, how the work should be displayed or cared for, whether it’s part of a series, and what’s included in the price (framing, delivery, a certificate of authenticity).
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Agree the brief, size, materials, price and timeline in writing before work starts, and expect to pay a deposit. A good artist will talk you through their process rather than just taking instructions.
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Framing can cost as much as the artwork itself. Get it quoted separately before you commit, and ask whether the artist has a framer they already work with.
FAQs
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Treat it as something you want to live with, not a financial investment. Some work appreciates, most doesn’t.
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Directly from an artist’s own site, from a local gallery’s online shop, or through a curation service like Personal Curator.
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See our guide to Liverpool's art galleries for where to start looking.
ENQUIRE
Want help finding the right piece rather than doing all this yourself? Personal Curator is the shortcut.
