Buying Art as a Gift

You may not know a Mondrian from a Matisse, but you know what you like, and you love art. You are an art lover. In your opinion, art makes the world a little more beautiful place to be. And you know someone whose world needs a little beautifying. So the perfect thing to do is to buy them artwork as a gift, right? But where do you start? Just how does one buy art as a gift for someone else?

What to Consider When Buying Art as a Gift

There are several things to consider when buying art for someone else. The first, and perhaps most important is whether or not your gift of artwork will be (or has to be) a surprise gift. Does the occasion warrant a surprise? Does the recipient enjoy surprises? If the act of buying the artwork is gift enough, then you’ve just simplified your task a great deal. You can either take the individual to your favorite gallery, or check with the gallery to see if they offer gift certificates. Your loved one can then choose their own artwork, courtesy of you, their art-loving, art giving friend. If, however, the gift is to be a piece of artwork, then you must consider several other things - how to wrap and present the art gift; the relationship between you and the recipient; the recipient’s personal tastes, style and sophistication (they may, after all, know the difference between a Mondrian and a Matisse;) the recipient’s home or office space where the artwork you buy as a gift will be placed; and lastly, and perhaps to you the most important consideration, is how much of your budget can be spent buying art to give away.

Relationships Matter

Your relationship to the recipient is essentially important to consider when buying art as a present. You wouldn’t purchase your assistant a large, expensive piece of art as a gift unless you’re looking for trouble from your significant other. Likewise, you can’t really know your new co-worker well enough to buy art as a gift for him/her. The nature of your relationship and the length are two key factors that will help you determine the size and cost of the gift, as well as whether to even buy art as a gift for that person, or not. Unless you know the person fairly well, it probably isn’t a good idea to purchase art as a gift for them. Likewise, the better you know the person, and the closer your relationship, the better you will be able to determine just what kind of art to buy as the perfect gift. That’s because art is all about personal taste – you know what you like, but do you really know what the other person might like?

Buying Art as a Gift is All about Style – Personal Style

Art is those things that you find particularly pleasing. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, after all, and when buying art as a gift, you must have a pretty firm idea of what your gift’s recipient finds appealing. You may prefer statuary, while your friend or loved one prefers prints or paintings. Buying art jewelry as a gift may please your daughter or wife, but not your mother-in-law. The bolder the better for you, but not for your boss, who prefers softer, muted tones. Consider the clothing, furniture, wall color and even personality of your gift’s recipient. What style, type and nature of art would best suit them? Once you understand their personal style, you’ll be better able to ensure their appreciation of the artwork you’ve given them.

This Space Available?

While you are considering their personal style, and thinking about the décor and colors used in their home or office, consider also the space available to display the art you intend to buy. Larger art pieces will, by nature, need more room. Statues and figures will require bases of some sort – tables, shelves, columns – on which to sit or stand. Smaller pieces may get lost in a sea of other items. When considering buying art jewelry as a gift, you must also think about the size of the person who will be wearing it. Smaller framed individuals may not appreciate a large, heavy piece. On the other hand, larger persons may find small, delicate pieces too dainty for their tastes. Art takes up space, whether in a room or on a person. Make sure adequate and appropriate space is available.

You, Your Budget and Buying Art

There is one last thing to keep in mind when buying art as a gift – your budget. A smaller budget needn’t keep you from buying artworks as gifts, but it will determine the nature of the art available. Consider buying a smaller piece, and then create a collection of that artist’s smaller pieces over time. Art jewelry may be a smart substitute to consider, too, if your wallet is a little light. You may want to think about models or reproductions of original artworks, as well, especially if your loved one has expressed a love for any one large piece. Prints are a good option over original art pieces, too, being generally less expensive than the canvases. If, however, money is no option in buying art as a gift for someone, you can still consider pieces that might make a nice collection or grouping. After all, you are attempting to beautify their world a bit, aren’t you?

Art – The Perfect Gift

Buying art as a gift for someone you love needn’t be daunting or distressing, for either the giver or the receiver. Both you and your recipient can be pleasantly surprised at the choices available. Art makes a very unique gift, after all. Keeping a few simple things in mind will go a long way to ensuring that the art you buy will make a perfect gift.