Find Art by Budget
Art has no list price, but it does have tiers. Here is what each budget realistically buys in France, what to check at that level — and, where there is something real to show, the works themselves.
01
Under €100
20 signed photographs at €65–€95, each in an edition of 25 and printed at 40 × 30 cm.
Signed, numbered photography and printmaking. This is not a consolation tier: a capped, signed edition at this price is a genuinely collectable object, and the fastest way to learn what you like by living with it.
Budget for the frame as well. For an affordable print, proper framing — acid-free mat, UV glazing — frequently costs more than the print did.
What to check at this level
- The edition size is stated, and small
- Signed by the artist
- A certificate that states the edition number
- Paper and size given on the listing
Available in this range
The Clash of Titans
LumièreVue
Black & white photography · Edition of 25 · Signed
Journey Through the Winter Silence
Bonaque
Black & white photography · Edition of 25 · Signed
Shrouded in Mist
LumièreVue
Black & white photography · Edition of 25 · Signed
The Sentinel of Ice and Rock
LumièreVue
Colour photography · Edition of 25 · Signed
Fractured Passage
Serena
Black & white photography · Edition of 25 · Signed
Endless Horizon
LumièreVue
Colour photography · Edition of 25 · Signed
Silent Resistance
Serena
Black & white photography · Edition of 25 · Signed
Celestial Contrast
Serena
Black & white photography · Edition of 25 · Signed
02
€100–€300
The same editions printed to order at 60 × 40 cm: €145–€195, depending on the work.
In galleries, this is where original works on paper, drawings and the upper end of editioned photography begin — and larger formats of the prints below.
A larger print changes the room more than a second small one: at this budget, one confident size often beats two hesitant ones.
What to check at this level
- Whether the larger size is part of the same numbered edition
- Framing cost at the larger size
- Delivery for rolled prints at that format
Available in this range
Shown at the standard size and price. Choose 60 × 40 cm on the listing.
Silent Resistance
Serena
Black & white photography · Edition of 25 · Signed
Climbing the Edge of the World
Bonaque
Black & white photography · Edition of 25 · Signed
Resilience in the Wasteland
LumièreVue
Black & white photography · Edition of 25 · Signed
Shrouded in Mist
LumièreVue
Black & white photography · Edition of 25 · Signed
03
€300–€500
Original works on paper, drawings and small canvases by emerging artists.
ArtMarket has no listings in this range at the moment. Here is what this budget typically buys in France, and where to look.
The first tier at which you are routinely buying something unique rather than editioned. Graduate shows, open studios and smaller galleries are where most of this market is found.
Ask about the artist’s record — exhibitions, representation, prior sales — because at this level it explains most of the difference between two similar prices.
What to check at this level
- A signed invoice naming artist, title, medium, size and year
- The medium, stated precisely
- Photos in daylight if you are buying remotely
04
€500 and up
Original paintings by emerging and early-career artists, small sculpture and ceramics — and, higher up, established names.
ArtMarket has no listings in this range at the moment. Here is what this budget typically buys in France, and where to look.
From around €500, original paintings at a size that can carry a wall on their own. Above €2,000, mid-career and established artists, large canvases and work with an exhibition history.
Above roughly €5,000 you should expect provenance documentation as a matter of course, not on request — and a gallery that will still be there to answer questions in five years.
What to check at this level
- A certificate of authenticity with real content
- Exhibition history and provenance
- Insurance and professional hanging for large works