Recently, someone was interested in purchasing two works by an artist I work with regularly. The interest was genuine. Then came the discussion about the price. Negotiating, in the art world, is neither new nor shocking…
Recently, someone was interested in purchasing two works by an artist I work with regularly. The interest was genuine. Then came the discussion about the price.
Negotiating, in the art world, is neither new nor shocking. But when the offer strays significantly from the set price, the issue is no longer merely financial. It becomes symbolic. For behind such a request, there is often an implicit message:
“this work isn’t worth that price.”
The price of a work of art is not arbitrary
A work of art is not merely an object to be hung on a wall.
Its price reflects a set of realities that are often invisible:
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years of research, practice and experimentation
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the actual time spent creating the work, which can be lengthy and demanding
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concrete costs: materials, studio, transport, conservation
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an artistic trajectory, a coherence, a signature
Significantly reducing a price is not just ‘negotiating’. It is ignoring everything that precedes the artwork.
Behind every work, there is a person
We all too often forget this: behind every painting, there is an artist. And very often, a precarious financial situation. Many artists have no regular income, no security, no safety net.
Their work is their main, and sometimes their only, means of subsistence.
Asking for an excessive discount is sometimes asking someone to work at a loss or to sell off at a knock-down price what enables them to continue creating.
African art and specific expectations
There is also a reality that needs to be acknowledged. In certain contexts, African art is still perceived as more ‘negotiable’, more accessible, less institutionalised.
Practices that would be unthinkable for an artist exhibiting in a Western gallery suddenly become acceptable elsewhere.
This discrepancy raises questions. It says something about the way we view artists, their careers and the value we place on them.
Respecting a price is respecting a career path
Accepting the price of a work is not simply a matter of concluding a transaction.
It is recognising an artistic approach, supporting an evolution, and contributing to the sustainability of an artistic career.
My role: setting a framework
Supporting artists also means knowing when to say no. No to certain negotiations.
No to proposals that undermine rather than support.
Setting clear boundaries does not mean being rigid. It means protecting the work, the value and the dignity of the artists I support.
Because art deserves better than to be systematically dragged down.
And because respecting a work of art begins with respecting the person who created it.
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