Tips for buying your first painting!

Planning to buy a painting for the first time? For many people, this often starts with an indescribable feeling or even a burning desire to get hold of something unique or personal with a certain beauty or message, that somehow appeals to you enormously. The painting that attracts you may also evoke a certain atmosphere or connect you in some way with the artist you admire. And although, once you own the painting, looking at it every day and being able to enjoy it, also the journey towards it; discovering, looking at and eventually buying (or collecting) the painting is also an exciting process. But what exactly to look out for when buying your first painting if you have never done so before? In this article, we offer some useful tips and hints that may help you take your first steps in buying your first painting.

Discover your taste before buying a painting
 

The most important thing is that you end up buying a painting that you really like and that you can continue to enjoy every day. Art as an investment is usually not a good idea. So take your time to find out what appeals to you and make sure you don't buy a painting that you quickly become bored with. 

_{Buying an impressionist, fauvist painting from the beginning of the 20th century? See also this painting by Jan Sluijters 'Bij de Couturier Hirsch & Cie Amsterdam', 1930-1954}
 
 
Often you already have an idea of a certain style or a movement or period that appeals to you. Do you like abstract, figurative, expressionist, impressionist, fauvist or maybe even cubist paintings? Do you like portraits, still lifes or other subjects? Or do you prefer a certain time period, like old masters from the 17th century, baroque, classical or renaissance style? Or perhaps a later period, more romantic or classical from the Victorian period attracts you? Or do you already have a name of an artist whose paintings you like? If you do not yet know exactly what you like, use the online tool 'Artease' to browse. If you already know what you like, use the categories and filters on the next page to get more insight into the offer of paintings of different styles, movements or time periods.  

_{Want to buy an old master from the 17th century as a painting? See also this painting by Dirck van der Lisse 'Diana discovering the pregnancy of Callisto', 1642}
 

Does the painting fit into your interior?
 

It may seem obvious, but does the painting you have in mind fit into your interior in terms of style, colour and format? Or do you opt for a more eclectic interior? For more tips about interior design also read the article 'the art of an eclectic interior. Also important before you consider buying a painting is whether your partner likes it. If you want to hang the painting in a prominent place, it is important that your partner or other housemates also like it to look at it for a longer period of time. 

 _{Want to buy a modern 20th century still life or landscape painting? See also this painting by Gert Jan Scholte-Albers "Bloei Appelbomen}

Where is the best place to buy a painting?
 

For orientation there is no better way to look at and compare paintings online, see also article. There are many online art platforms and galleries where you can get a first impression of the paintings. If you see a painting that you really like, we would definitely recommend you to go and see it in real life at the art shop or gallery before you plan to buy it online. The advantage of this is that you often get a better idea of the texture (depth), the colours and the size of the painting. It is often slightly different from the picture. The gallery owner can also tell you more about the work of art and the artist, and there may be other similar works in the gallery that you will like as well. 

_{Want to buy a modern abstract geometric painting? See also this painting 'Neuordnung' by Cigdem Aky from 2020 (150x120x3cm)}

What determines the price of a painting?
 

The price of a painting is determined by various factors. Often the quality, the rarity and the renown of the painting are the most decisive factors. The fame of the artist is often determined by whether the painter was a pioneering or innovative painter in his time.  In the case of several works by the same artist, the subject and size of the painting are often also important. The larger the size, the more expensive it is, and if popular images are featured (e.g. cats or dogs) then the painting is often worth slightly more. Also, oil paintings by the same artist are often worth more than watercolours. Before you decide to buy a particular painting it can do no harm to compare prices on the Internet. It is often possible to find out what similar works have fetched at auctions or are perhaps still for sale at other galleries. 

_{Buying a 'still life' oil painting? See also this painting by Juane Xue, 'Vieren aan Zee'}

What to look out for when buying a painting?
 

It is important when buying a 'unique' painting to know whether it is real and whether the quality of the painting is good. You can avoid this uncertainty by buying from a reputable gallery or art dealer who is often also willing to provide a certificate of authenticity and to tell you more about the provenance. If you want to buy a painting at an art auction where no curation takes place, you run the risk of buying a pig in a poke. So we only recommend this if you are a real connoisseur and know what to look for. If you want to read more about buying art through (online) art auctions, see also the following article.

If you decide not to buy from a renowned gallery make sure that you investigate (or ask questions) whether the painting has been restored or has any damages. Maybe you can ask the seller if you can see the painting with black-light; restauration and damage spots will often become visible as white or black sports. Also before buying the painting have close look at the back side of the painting, it might give you extra information about the artist, the gallery that once sold it or maybe reveal museum or auction details! And for last ask if the frame is included a nice frame can cost you several hundred euro's.

_{Want to buy a magical realistic painting? See also the painting by Peter van Straten, 'The Line, 2020 (90 x 120 x 3 cm).}

When buying a painting make use of the 'KunstKoopregeling' 
 

Should you ultimately decide to buy a work of art in a Dutch gallery or art shop? Then consider the Art Purchase Scheme. Thanks to the Mondriaan KunstKoopregeling, you can buy contemporary art up to EUR 7,500 in instalments, without interest, at 120 galleries in the Netherlands. For more information on the KunstKoopregeling, please read the following article.

If you would like to orientate further regarding the large selection of paintings, please visit our website Gallerease for an extensive overview of paintings from several renowned galleries. You can search by price, style, period, size, colour and similar works.

If you want to know more about buying art, read also the article: 'Buying art, practical tips for buying your (first) work of art'.