The artistry of a famous painter, the gorgeous women of a certain seventy year anniversary, and the cuteness of a small dog can be put into a single picture and sold to an audience worldwide. That is the power of the internet.
It is a power that is changing the way we do business,
however, and it is making the world smaller when it comes to information and commerce. The impact is being felt by everyone from entrepreneurs, to solicitors,
to market analysts.
The Growth of the Online Sale of Art
In a previous generation, if you wanted to know what kind of art was in demand, you visited an established gallery and looked at the reproductions of famous painters or drawers. You then purchased a painted wood plaque, good for a home gallery, and perhaps a museum visited your hometown in the future.
It was a circumstantial evidence based approach to the market in which you wanted to invest your money. You had to go to an establishment you trusted and either look at a catalogue or speak with a shop assistant to find out the best type of piece of art to purchase.
Nowadays, all of that is changing. With the rise of the online market, it is easy for an entrepreneur or small business to launch a handful of sites dedicated to selling art. Whether you want to create a virtual museum for your home or wish to discount framed prints of Cézanne or Matisse for a holiday present, you can create a small side hustle that is solely dedicated to selling art. With no gallery distances or assistants to interrupt your conversation, the web makes it easy to find out what kind of art is in demand and the best time to buy it.
A Handyman’s Nuisance
When it comes to selling art, the hand of a professional is necessary. Even a simple picture takes a reasonable amount of time to execute and a skilled artist can charge a small fortune for an entrance foyer, a ballerina’s pose, or a still life with fruit and vegetables. A picture shop that I worked at would charge up to £10,000+ for a portrait of a householder drawn by a famous artist such as Van Gogh or Cézanne.
Even a mere painting of a street scene takes a professional to present it in a useful manner. A Van Gogh can easily sell for £400,000+, stolen or not, which is a scandal in itself. Who would pay that for a mere trompe l’œil? A professional polishes and arrangers the work, prepares the piece for framing, and handles all the necessary paperwork, so you can enjoy your reward without any hassles.
The art buying public are now connected to the beautiful objects of art that they enjoy. They can virtually ‘look at a glance’ at a gallery’s website and see a portrait of a famous artist’s work, precise information on the painter, and learn about the work of a noted artist in an easy to understand manner. The painter or gallery owner can set the price of the portrait and the audience will then react according to their estimation of its value.
If you want to create a framed portrait of a family member, friend, or client and need a frame, you can get one made to order with a giant version of a standard framing service.
Where Do I Put The Picture?
For those of you wondering where to put the portrait, the answer is virtually anywhere. There is no wrong answer as long as it is framed properly. The only thing you need to be careful about is the location of the frame within your home. The best places for a framed portrait include:
- Above a mantle piece, but not on a table, as that is tacky;
- On a wall with other artwork;
- As part of a collective display hanging in the middle of a room;
- On a shelf for books or magazines;
- Hanging in the centre of a room, as part of a landscape;
- Painted on a wooden plaque and on show in a gallery;
- Properly framed, on tiptoes, and in a corners of a room.
There is a world of possibilities when it comes to self-expression and the great thing is that it is easy for entrepreneurs to create a small business that allows them to pursue their passion. What is more, if you are a skilled artist, you can create a profession and make money selling your work online. You can even become an online retailer of art, specialising in portraits and still life and take on customers from all over the world.