The online art gallery, buying art with complete peace of mind

In the past, buying art was reserved for the upper classes. Today, this is no longer the case. Buying art is becoming more democratic. Even young people are interested in it.

Contemporary art is frequently purchased on the Internet, which is poised to profoundly change the nature of the art market.

The online art gallery is changing habits and becoming a benchmark for purchasing contemporary art.

Currently, art professionals are diversifying with the proliferation of contemporary art fairs. The Internet and social networks are increasingly used to buy art. The online art gallery occupies a place that grows every year on the art market. By placing the contemporary artist at the heart of its offering, it promotes contemporary creation and makes art accessible, all over the world and to as many people as possible.

- What is an online art gallery?

- How did the principle of the art gallery appear and evolve?

This is what this article aims to help you understand better.

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What is an online art gallery?

An online art gallery generally consists of a website, which primarily sells contemporary art over the Internet.

These digital galleries are now much more than just an online version of an art gallery.

- They relay in their catalogs thousands of works by artists from all countries of the world. Digital networks considerably amplify the commercialization potential of these works of art.

- They reach a wider audience. Beyond the small world of art lovers and collectors, the online art gallery contributes to the democratization of contemporary art.

We are therefore at a pivotal time in art.

Many amateur artists are taking the step towards professionalization, or at least the large-scale exhibition of their works.

Furthermore, it has never been easier for an artist to show their work.

There are several types of online galleries:

1. General galleries, which present the works of contemporary artists after a selection.

1. Collection-style online galleries. These establishments represent collections from physical galleries, which wish to sell the works of their artists on the Internet.

1. Individual artist websites : these make it easier for young artists and creators to present their work without going through large structures. This sales pattern is particularly appreciated by generation Y (millennials).

1. Galleries more oriented towards smartphones. They offer mobile applications, which are very effective for buying and selling art.

Buying art has become a trend globally, and expectations for its growth continue to drive this economic sector.

Art galleries in history

The role attributed to the artist and the art dealer has profoundly evolved over time.

Art galleries only appeared late in the history of art.

It is during the Renaissance that the work is directly associated with the artist who created it.

The major Italian and Flemish artistic movements participated in the creation of a dynamic art market for the time.

Dealers are starting to take an interest in it to satisfy their collectors. The movement accelerated towards the end of the 19th century with the first exhibitions and the arrival of the art gallery similar to the one we know today.

In the 19th century, art galleries, with their selection of artists, became organized and became popular places for buyers. With the development of “business” in the financial sense of the time, speculators took over this high-end market. Prices are soaring for certain artists. The art gallery then plays an important role in determining the purchase and sale price of a work. Buying art becomes a very lucrative profession for some.

It is a complete upheaval, marked by the end of the main influence of academic art. The exhibition becomes a place of selection that makes and breaks careers. However, some art dealers and critics began to promote the artistic avant-garde, with paintings that were provocative for the time.

Practices also change. The gallery owner buys works from artists that he keeps in reserve in order to carry out promotion actions through various methods, such as organizing openings, exhibitions, etc.

The goal is to artificially increase the value of works and artists in order to make a profit.

Then, in the 1960s, the major contemporary art fairs began. They complement the exhibitions already present for decades, which influenced the market and trends in the 19th century.

It was in 1967 that the first international contemporary art fair appeared in Cologne. The idea is ambitious. The fair is aimed at galleries and their artists. This is about giving gallery owners the opportunity to exhibit in a dedicated and specialized place, which brings together professionals and collectors.

This grouping concept only follows the appearance of trade shows in other areas.

A place for presenting artists, but also for negotiations, the Art Basel fair followed the movement in 1970 and became an unmissable event for major galleries.

Currently, with the proliferation of these events which follow the democratization of art, this extension of the contemporary art market is experiencing rapid growth (60 fairs in 2000 and 300 in 2019).

The appearance of online art sales in the art world

The arrival of the Internet has changed our habits. It took ten years for a new mode of consumption to take hold of it at the end of the 1990s.

With a little delay, the first commercial art sales platforms appeared during the 2000s.

Internet users' fear of buying paintings and sculptures online has gradually evolved. The security of payments and the improvement of deliveries have made it possible to envisage sales on a larger scale.

If buying a consumer item on the Web is easy, acquiring a work without seeing it is another matter. However, the online art gallery has undeniable advantages over the traditional gallery:

- The works are visible everywhere on earth where the Internet is accessible. No need to travel anymore. From your living room, you can admire the works in detail and take your time to choose and compare, before buying.

- Prices are displayed and transparent.

- Fast and secure transport has greatly developed.

- Banks have followed the evolution of the Internet and offer payment guarantees.

- Since 2010, the trend of online purchasing has been growing. Online galleries have good expertise and give relevant advice. Consumer reviews on the sites also help with decision-making.

Painting, with a multitude of paintings on sale, but also photography and sculpture, is of interest to more and more art lovers.

Faced with strong demand, art sold online is growing. The most important galleries have several tens of thousands of works in their catalog.

There are now merchant platforms that represent many art establishments. This sales system takes the form of a back office open to gallery owners around the world.

Since the start of the health crisis, the online art market has experienced rapid growth. The use of the Internet has become widespread and online sales have followed suit. Physical borders are no longer a barrier. The world is organized around the Internet and online art galleries have a role to play in popularizing access to contemporary art.

This bet is being won, as more and more art lovers buy online.

The online art gallery Art4You.gallery

A new online contemporary art gallery is hitting the market. Its goal is to present a catalog of works while respecting the following values:

- The quality of the works. The gallery carefully selects artists.

- Support for young contemporary creation by allowing many artists to make a living from their art.

- The rapprochement between artist and buyer, considering that they are both complementary.

- A work of art is not a consumer product. It is an original and unique production which requires advice and monitoring by our Art4You experts.

- Transaction security is an ongoing concern.

Art4You gallery does everything possible to offer you a choice of quality works and to allow you to buy at the best price. For us, communication and advice are sacred.

We are always available to support your acquisition process.

art4you Gallery online art and discover our selection of artists.

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The contemporary artist

The appearance of contemporary art will revolutionize the role of the artist and his interaction with buyers. Indeed, works of contemporary art require increased receptivity from the viewer.

A symbiosis is supposed to take place between the contemporary artist, the work and the viewer.
This dialogue is “at the origin of the creative process Source: Observatory of New Media” Blog Archive » The question of the evolution of the place of the spectator in contemporary artistic practices (arpla.fr).

Today, the contemporary artist is forced to find his way in a commercial and social labyrinth full of traps.

Indeed, the artist often attributes to himself or is attributed a political and subversive role. However, he must also worry about his notoriety and quite simply living.

The relationship between the world of contemporary art and that of online art galleries is sometimes confusing. The online gallery sells well-identified objects, paintings, sculptures, lithographs. By definition, she cannot sell an ephemeral work.

A large number of contemporary artists regret or criticize the commodification of art (and of society in general). However, their economic livelihood is subject to the art market, which becomes extremely competitive.

Their spiritual and political commitment is then faced with a contradiction that is generally difficult to live with. They have to deal with a complex reality.

The online art gallery must understand this dichotomy and support these creators by offering to relay their image.

For his part, the contemporary artist must also adapt and produce art for online sale.

The contemporary work of art, if it is traditionally an object of social recognition and financial speculation, can in no case be reduced to becoming an object of mass consumption. The contemporary artist is always one step ahead of economics and politics.

Capitalism and finance only follow the trends that seem profitable to them.

Buy art

There are different ways to buy art. Here are the six main ones:

Buy in Gallery. Originally, art was mainly purchased in galleries. This still remains the case, although the share going to physical galleries is reducing from year to year.
Buy at art fairs. Contemporary art fairs tend to multiply. They are a good way for the buyer to see the works directly before purchasing.
Buy online. It is a commercial method that is growing a lot in Europe and Asia, with the proliferation of online art sales platforms. Buying art online means being able to access the works of artists from all over the world, from the comfort of your home or office.
Buy art from department stores . In some countries like Japan, some hypermarkets have an art sector. It is possible to find information on the works presented there and of course also to buy them. In Europe, this method of sales rarely exists.

Art must not remain confined. The work of art offers a multitude of visions on the world, on life and on ourselves.

The online art gallery is becoming essential these days for selling or buying art. From the greatest artists to the most modest, from the wealthy collector to the simple amateur, everyone can find something of interest.

Contemporary works of art integrate into your life and transform it. Art truly changes lives. It only becomes “alive” through you. Buying art facilitates and supports a desire to beautify one's life. Choosing a work from home and then receiving it fairly quickly is in tune with the times, especially for new generations.

The psychological barrier to purchasing on the Internet is gradually disappearing. The Internet purchasing system is permanently secure.

A new era begins for the distribution of works of art.