LOOKING GUIDE
Before you buy your first artwork
A practical question sheet for making an informed, unhurried decision.
In this guide 6 sections
Start with your own limits
Set a total budget that includes the work, tax where applicable, framing, packing, delivery and installation. Measure the space where it may go. Consider direct sunlight, heat, humidity and the weight the wall can support. These are practical constraints, not rules about which art you should like.
Identify exactly what is offered
Ask for the artist, title, year, medium, dimensions and condition in writing. For an edition, ask about its size, numbering and any artist’s proofs. A print, reproduction and unique work are different objects; do not infer uniqueness from a signature alone.
Understand the paperwork
Request an itemised invoice and any available provenance or certificate. Ask who issued the document and what it actually confirms. Purchasing a physical artwork does not automatically transfer copyright or permission to use its image commercially. Clarify display and reproduction questions separately.
Plan the journey home
Ask who packs and ships the work, what insurance applies and what happens if it arrives damaged. If framing or mounting is needed, obtain a separate quote. Get cancellation, return and payment arrangements in writing before agreeing. Do not assume a policy from another gallery applies.
A worked budget
For a hypothetical $400 artwork, a $150 framing quote and $50 delivery charge, the subtotal is $600 before any applicable tax or additional installation costs. Replace every example amount with the actual written quote. This example is a budgeting method, not a market price or a promise of availability.
The question sheet
Ask: What exactly am I buying? What is its condition? What documents come with it? What are the full costs? When and how will I receive it? What care does it need? What are the written return terms? Take time to compare the answers with your budget; an opening reception need not be a purchase deadline.
A complete budget, not just a price
- 01Work: $400
Illustrative price only; not an offer from a gallery.
- 02Frame: $150
Illustrative framing allowance. Ask about materials and fitting.
- 03Delivery: $50
Example total: $600 before any taxes. Confirm every real cost in writing.
Read the edition mark and ask what it leaves out
A number on a print is one part of identifying what is offered. It does not by itself prove authenticity, quality, scarcity or resale value. Use this fictional enquiry record to request the missing documentation before agreeing to buy.
- Copy the exact visible mark, artist, title, date, medium, sheet and image dimensions. Ask whether the object is an original print, a reproduction or another type of edition.
- Ask the seller to explain the numbered edition and any separately identified proofs or variants. Do not assume the denominator describes every impression or version that exists.
- Match the offered object to its invoice and any certificate. Record who issued each document and what it actually confirms; a signature alone is not a complete provenance.
- Keep condition, framing, price and written return terms separate from the edition description. Leave unanswered fields open rather than interpreting a low number as a better offer.
| Field | Example or check |
|---|---|
| Fictional object record | Mark shown: 2/30; artist/title/year and medium still to be supplied. This is not a listing or an appraisal. |
| Edition question | Does “30” describe this numbered edition? Are there artist’s proofs, printer’s proofs, different sizes, colours or later editions? Request the publisher’s or artist’s applicable record. |
| Proof question | If the offer says AP, ask what that mark means for this work and how many such proofs were made. Do not invent a universal proof allowance. |
| Documentation check | Invoice describes the same object, dimensions and mark; certificate issuer and date recorded; gaps in ownership history remain explicitly unknown. |
| Enquiry to copy | Please confirm the exact edition/proof mark, edition record, medium, dimensions, condition and accompanying documents for this particular impression, plus the complete price and return terms. |
Use the replies to identify the work and decide whether further independent advice is needed. Numbering alone cannot establish that a purchase is a good investment.