dillyj

I would like to buy some good art in Paris and surrounding areas and need to know some advice/tips from experienced buyers.

Gretchen

Buy what you like to look at as you would anywhere.

nytraveler

Don;t know what you mean by "good" art.

One of the few things we do buy on vacation is art. But we buy simply whatever we want at very modest cost ($200 is a lot for us) - oils or watercolors or whatever. They don't have any real artistic value nor do we expect them to rise in resale value. We just buy works we like to look at on the walls.

If you want to do similar - just buy whatever you like to look at.

If you want to buy "real art" that may potentially have resale value suggest you

1) Get your check book ready to open in the thousands and often way up

2) Get a professional to give you some advice in learning what you like and what types of things may have potential long-term resale value

Assume that anything you buy on the street or at popular venues like the Monmartre, although pleasant to look at, are no more valuable than wallpaper.

Christina

I presume the OP doesn't mean something you'd find on the street, but from a respected gallery. I don't know any real tips about that, there are lots of them in St Germain. If you are in that kind of market, there are probably some specialized shopping guidebooks that could give you a few names. I don't buy good art so can't suggest any.

If you means something by a name artist that is likely to appreciate or is worth thousands, I don't know about those galleries, either.

Here's some good info from Timeout on contemporary art galleries http://www.timeout.com/paris/feature...-art-galleries

also very good info on best galleries http://www.francetoday.com/travel/pa...galleries.html

nukesafe

My wife is a serious glass artist, so we make the rounds of the galleries each time we go, looking for glass art. Very interesting, and gives us a (small) tax write off. We found very little glass art in the galleries last time. Not much being done in France. Amsterdam was better.

We did, however, attend some of the auctions in the Drouot Auction galleries while in Paris. We saw some really outstanding stuff there, including paintings I would love to have on our walls. You would be bidding mostly against dealers so, unless you are completely clueless, you can get wonderful things at very good prices. After all, the dealers buy low and sell high. They ignore the unknowns and paintings by the lesser known go for really low prices. This link, in English, will explain how the place works.

It is fun to just go watch, even if you do not bid.

nukesafe

Whoops, I forgot the link: http://www.drouot.com/?bpage=Sales&d...g.days&lang=en

LSky

I agree with nytraveler. Buy what you like.

If you're looking at "investing in art" then go to a gallery and buy something that you think might be worth something some day. Then remember all the people who bought Thomas Kincaid's work. Art is subjective.

But if you're just want something to hang on your wall to remind you of that great little place in Paris, then buy what speaks to you.

All artists have to start somewhere.

You never know what you'll run into.

cathies

I bought two watercolours from a painter at the Place du Tertre. They weren't particularly expensive and I had them framed when I got home. I love them and every time I walk from my lounge room to my kitchen and see them they are a little reminder of my first trip to Paris.

Ackislander

Yes, it is not clear whether you mean 'memory' art or fine art but you have just gotten good advice for each.

As a side note, our local hospital thrift shop is featuring a bunch of memory art, water colors from Paris in the 1960's, for $20-$50, framed.

RoamsAround

When we were in Paris a few years ago we went to Montmartre one Sunday afternoon and there were scores of "street artists" painting and selling their works in the square. We bought a couple small paintings for what to us was a reasonable price.