Virtual Art Galleries
Until the invention of the internet, art galleries were brick and mortar places where people went to buy or look at any style of paintings, sculpture or artwork. While the older style of looking at art is still very viable, there are millions of online art galleries now.
Domain names and easy to build websites have given the opportunity to anyone who wants to be an art dealer to become one. These online art galleries range from very high end and well known paintings to tiny craft projects by people in remote villages.
Without judging whether the art is good or bad or even worth the prices quoted, it is necessary to point out that any outlet for the arts is a step in the right direction. If only more of the art galleries online had original art! The problem is that there are so many sites that sell bad reproductions or prints of famous paintings along with seriously bad rip offs of good art. The unsuspecting buyer has no art dealer to engage in conversation and there is usually little way to find out about artists or even their bios.
For someone who is genuinely interested in art, theres no way to sort through the garbage so most continue to deal only with art galleries they know and who happen to set up online sales. This is the good and the bad of the internet. Everyone has a chance at internet commerce and some take advantage.
If you arent paying very much for a piece of art, theres nothing wrong with taking a chance as sometimes you do that in brick and mortar places. Just use your common sense, buy what you truly like and do read the fine print.
