…and give away someone who doesn’t understand painting.
“Cool painting, just like a photograph!”
A painting is not a photograph. Painting depicts not only objects, but also attitudes, emotions, symbols, and details. Contains composition, texture and color. It also reflects the talent and skill of the artist. Even authors working in the style of hyperrealism, which implies a maximum realism of images, as a rule, do not tend to equate their work with photography, but rather immerse the viewer in a different aesthetic reality, persuasiveness which is enhanced with professionalism of execution.
“It’s a cool picture, but I wouldn’t hang it in my house.”
At this point will sadden not only the author of interior painting or designer, but also the real artist, who paints a picture not at all in order to decorate the abode of a squeamish mistress, even though the work or its reproduction in the future and can take such a place. Of course, paintings can and should please the eye of their owners, but not only the cozy colors, but also the artistic value, style and depth of execution. In addition, the heavy subjects killing John the Terrible or “The Last Day of Pompeii” by Bryullov at all deny such paintings the right to exist. By the way, true masterpieces, including famous contemporary artists, can sometimes cost even more than some houses.
“Oh, we wrote essays on this painting at school, and my grandmother had a reproduction of it hanging.”
Here you’re just giving away that a wonderful attempt to instill in you an interest in art as a child was your last interaction with it. Otherwise, you would be appealing to later memories and comparisons.
“I recognize this street in Hamburg. There’s a shoe store around the corner, and then the cafe where we had doughnuts.”
Such a viewer views the painting as a topographical map, disregarding its artistic merits. This approach is very common among the general population, something street artists and students readily take advantage of, depicting tourist spots and landmarks with which people have fond memories. True, the real masterpieces among such paintings are very few.
“How much is this picture? Will you give it away for half price?”
Those who like to haggle unceremoniously are the pain and resentment of most artists and gallerists. The topic is big and has deep roots in the history of the art market and the development of society’s culture. Let us only note that in today’s reality, when thanks to the Internet art market pricing is generally open and accessible to all who are interested, and whoever sells similar paintings to different buyers for different prices is seriously risking his reputation, the chance of being cheated is not the same as it was, at least in past decades. Therefore, haggling now can safely offer to concede as well, for example, by getting, this month, half of your salary. Besides, it is not very ethical to put a man before the choice to receive only a part of his pay or not receive it at all. At the same time, a buyer who is not pressured into asking for large discounts is more likely to get a better deal on subsequent purchases from the same artist or gallery already as a collector.