How to buy art, lesson six: do your research.
By Watson Evans Art
How to buy art, lesson six: do your research.
When you are looking at an artist whose work has already been resold at auction, you have a real wealth of information at your fingertips. Sites like @mutualart @artnet and Artprice let you look up auction results and build a picture of how an artist has performed over time.
If you are buying from a primary market artist, where the work is being sold for the first time, the research looks a little different. Look up the other galleries showing their work. Have they featured in any group exhibitions? Has a museum or public institution taken an interest? This information can tell you where an artist sits in the wider conversation.
Either way, the principle is the same: get to know the artist before you buy.
What is the first thing you look up when a new name catches your eye?