Where to Buy Affordable Art Online

Design styles aside, most aesthetes can agree that no room is complete without art. The good news? There’s plenty of great painting, prints, and more to be found if you know where to look. While sales once revolved mainly around high-profile auctions and blue-chip gallery sales (many of which are shrouded in secrecy), the internet age has ushered in a slew of online retailers looking to make this ever-growing market accessible to a wider range of buyers. With so many options to choose from, AD has rounded up our top picks based on your art preference and collecting style. Your walls are about to get much more exciting.

For the Photography Lover: Lumas Born from a successful Berlin photography gallery, Lumas is now a network of over 40 galleries worldwide, with an impressive digital arm. Its site, like the galleries, specializes in high-quality, limited-edition works from big-name photographers. Prints by greats such as Edward Steichen, Helmut Newton, and Horst P. Horst are offered in numerous framing options for prices starting around $400.

For the Eclectic: Society6 For those who like to swap out their art on a regular basis, Society6’s assorted collection of whimsical, affordable prints is a great bet. Everything from cheeky sayings to watercolor florals, nature scenes, and abstracts can be had for as little as $20, so your gallery wall is limitless.

For the Discoverer: Artfinder Founded in London in 2013 by a Swedish art enthusiast who had worked in the New York art world, Artfinder is an online marketplace for original art from around the globe. The site sorts its offerings by both style and medium, making it easy to browse the more than 200,000 pieces (including abstract paintings, sculpture, photography, collage, and digital art), all of which are signed by the artist. Prices start at $25, and the site also has dedicated services for interior designers purchasing art for their clients.

For the Budding Collector: SaatchiArt The online arm of London’s renowned Saatchi Gallery, SaatchiArt boasts an impressive collection of art at accessible prices. Original works, which include photography, collage, painting, and sculpture, start at $200, and limited-edition prints at $95. The site also runs a complimentary art advisory service, where a team of curators will build a collection for you based on your taste or space.

For the Philanthropist: Paper Collective Copenhagen-based e-tailer Paper Collective sells artworks with a mission. The company collaborates with artists, designers, and illustrators to create prints, posters, cards, and accessories that are certified eco-friendly with a seal from the Danish government. On top of that, 10 percent of the sale proceeds for each work goes to a charity of the artist’s choosing. Now that’s good art!

For the Small-Business Supporter: Minted Minted, largely known for its wide range of cards, takes a similarly community-focused approach to its art offerings, with prints, photography, and drawings sourced from independent makers worldwide. Pieces range from $21 (unframed) to $605 (framed). Artists have their own landing pages with bios and links to all of their work, and Minted’s crowdsourcing model allows emerging artists to find a platform. This summer the site will begin offering commissioned art.

For the Street Art Enthusiast: AHA While AHA’s offerings run the gamut from clothing to home accessories to beauty products (all handmade by artisans around the world), its art section skews toward the bright, funky, and contemporary. AHA prints and ships all the pieces it sells, so artists (who hail from 45 countries) just have to upload their image files, making it easy for emerging and experimental artists to earn commissions.

For the Early Supporter: Tappan Collective Founded in 2012 by Chelsea Neman and Jordan Klein, Tappan aims to nurture emerging artists by connecting them to seasoned collectors. This support extends beyond the internet, too: Tappan has curated numerous exhibitions of its artists in assorted spaces throughout Los Angeles. On the site you’ll find everything from handmade ceramics for around $100 to large-scale paintings upwards of $10,000.

For the Eager Learner: 20x200 20x200’s goal is to provide art for everyone. The 1,000 editions the site has produced so far range from $24 to $10,000, and each is produced exclusively for 20x200. The company also wants customers to be passionate and knowledgeable about their art, so every print and photo ships with documentation about the work, and the site announces each new launch with an informative write-up on the artist and project.

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July 2, 2016