What’s the difference between art in galleries and art you can purchase online?
I want to buy an Andy Warhol piece and when I look at art galleries online the prices are extremely expensive but when I look at different place online they don’t seem to be as expensive. What is the difference? Is it worth it to buy the more expensive piece?
By: Deirdre
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Filed under Painting by on Jan 17th, 2010. 
Comments on What’s the difference between art in galleries and art you can purchase online?
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There are many sources selling poster prints of famous artist’s work. These are basically pictures of art and are not the art itself. Signed limited edition prints of high quality are more expensive than assembly line prints that cost a dime a dozen to produce. There is also a lot of marketing hype involved in pricing prints. So there are originals, original limited edition prints and there are a range of basic prints of varying quality marketed with prices that do not necessarily reflect their quality. If you have enough money you can buy an original piece of art.
With this particular artist, Warhol used print as one of his mediums and had a team of artists producing the physical bi-product of his ideas. He did not produce that much with his own hands.
As for the gallery, it depends on the venue. There are reputable galleries that specialize in top tier work of the best artists in the world. Then on the other end of the scale there are online factories that spit out cheaply made products calling themselves galleries. An upscale gallery is likely to have a physical showroom space where people can view the art in person. They deal with artists and collectors. The best of the best have prime locations. Anyone can create a website to sell a product and call it a gallery. You might have to do some research if their position on the scale is not clearly recognizable at first glance.
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Deirdra,
The difference may be primarily in perception. When you buy from online sources there are many ways you might not receive your purchase, or the quality is very poor.
From a gallery you will see, in person, what the piece of art your are buying looks like. The best way to choose. If you are buying a print, you’ll want to know whether you are buying a lithograph or a gleecle` (print run on a computer). Ask lots of questions before you buy.
It’s best to deal with well-known sources. Check for cutomer ratings or comments to help you with your decision. Look for return policies, too. Good luck, I hope you get exactly what you want.