By Andy Taylor | Art Haus
What to Look for Before Buying Original Art Online
Buying original art online without seeing it in person can feel like a leap of faith. It doesn’t need to be. Before you buy, check three things: who actually made it, what proof you’ll get that it’s genuine, and whether you can talk to a real person before you commit.
Here’s what each of those actually means in practice.
1. A clear, named artist
This sounds obvious, but it’s worth checking properly. Look for a full name, a location, and some sense of an ongoing practice — exhibitions, a body of work, a studio. If a “gallery” or shop can’t tell you who made a piece, or the artist bio reads like it was written by nobody in particular, that’s worth pausing on.
I paint every piece myself from my studio in Nottingham, and I’m always named on the work I sell. You’re not buying from an anonymous listing.
2. Proof it’s genuine
A certificate of authenticity should do more than exist. It should actually say something. Look for the artist’s name, the title, the year, the medium, and dimensions, ideally with a signature you can match to the piece itself. A generic printed slip from a platform isn’t the same as a certificate signed by the person who made the work.
Close-up photos help too. Genuine brushwork and texture are hard to fake convincingly in a listing photo, so if a seller can’t or won’t show you detail shots on request, that’s a fair question to ask.
3. A real way to reach the artist
Before you buy, you should be able to ask a question and get an answer from a person, not a support queue. Sizing, colour matching, framing, how a piece will actually look on your wall. These are all things worth checking before you commit, especially on anything above a few hundred pounds.
If you ask a direct question and get a vague or automated reply, that tells you something about what happens if there’s ever a problem after you’ve bought.
Where to actually look
Practically, that means:
- Check the “about” or artist bio page. Is there a real name, real history, a studio?
- Ask what comes with the piece. Certificate, signature, any documentation.
- Send a question before buying and see who answers, and how.
- If buying original work specifically, ask for a close-up photo if one isn’t already shown.
None of this is complicated. It’s the same due diligence you’d apply to any purchase where you can’t see the thing in person first. You’re just checking that there’s a real person, a real process, and a real paper trail behind it.
Buying an original from me comes with a signed certificate of authenticity, and I answer every enquiry myself. Get in touch if you’d like to ask about a piece before you buy.
