Is Buying Straight From the Painter Now a Normal Way to Collect?

Angela Simeone · Last updated: 11 October 2026

In short: Yes, and more commonly than many assume. The Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2026 found that 69% of high-net-worth collectors bought directly from an artist in 2025/2026, up 6% on the year and more than double the 2024 level. Dealers remain the preferred channel for 29% of collectors, and artists for 19%. Buying from the painter is now ordinary, and it goes best when you know what to ask.

How many collectors really buy directly from artists?

The newest numbers are specific. The Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2026, authored by Dr. Clare McAndrew of Arts Economics, polled 3,100 high-net-worth collectors across ten markets during the first half of 2026. Its finding on the subject: "The share of collectors buying directly from artists grew, up by 6% year-on-year to 69% in 2025/2026 – more than double the level of 2024."

The Art Newspaper's report on the survey (Carlie Porterfield, 8 October 2026) adds the texture. Of the collectors surveyed, 48% bought from artists' studios, 40% commissioned works, and 38% bought through Instagram. Artist-direct sales made up 19% of collectors' total spending, so the channel is common without being the biggest line in the budget.

Does that mean dealers are on the way out?

No, and the same survey is clear about it. Eighty-seven percent of collectors bought through a dealer in some form during the year, and dealers were the preferred channel for 29%, ahead of artists at 19% and art fairs at 16%. The honest reading is that collectors now use several doors, and the studio has become one of the ordinary ones.

Part of the shift is generational. Noah Horowitz, CEO of Art Basel, summarizes one headline of the report: "Gen Z collectors emerge as the highest-spending generation surveyed." Aida Valdez, founder of the exhibition platform Mad54, told The Art Newspaper that "Gen Z collectors are a lot more engaged with the community aspect of art collecting." A buyer who wants a relationship with the work tends to want one with the person who made it.

What does buying from the painter give you?

Access to the whole story, first. The studio can say what is underneath the surface, how long a canvas took, what the color was meant to do in a room, and what the painter is working on next. Vincent van Gogh, writing to his brother Theo, put the aim of the work plainly: "I want to make drawings that touch some people." Buying direct is the shortest line between that intention and the person who ends up living with it.

It also means a single point of responsibility. At this studio, original paintings are sold direct to collectors and to the trade, with no gallery representation in between, and the studio handles the work from canvas to wall. A commission begins with a conversation about the room, a deposit secures the slot, two options are painted at the same time, and the collector chooses after a first reveal and up to two revision rounds. The studio sends several videos of each finished painting before it ships.

What should you ask when you buy straight from a studio?

Ask what the painting is made of and how it was built up. Ask how it travels, who handles framing, how long delivery takes and whether you will see the finished work on video before it ships. Ask what happens after the sale: whether the painter is reachable next month and next year if you want to move the painting to a new wall or begin a second one.

Those are the same questions a good gallery should be glad to answer, and a painter usually answers them at length, because they are the questions asked while the work is being made.

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Sources: Art Basel, "The Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2026" (the page shows no date; the survey was reported on 8 October 2026) · The Art Newspaper, "Wealthy Gen Z collectors are the art market's biggest spenders, survey finds", Carlie Porterfield, 8 October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

What percentage of collectors buy art directly from artists?

In the Art Basel and UBS Survey of Global Collecting 2026, 69% of the 3,100 high-net-worth collectors surveyed bought directly from an artist in 2025/2026, up 6% year-on-year and more than double the 2024 level. As a preferred channel, artists came second-ranked behind dealers: 19% for artists, 29% for dealers, 16% for art fairs.

Where do collectors buy directly from artists?

The Art Newspaper reported on 8 October 2026 that, of the collectors surveyed, 48% bought from artists' studios, 40% commissioned works and 38% bought through Instagram.

Is it safe to buy an original painting straight from the artist?

It is when you ask the practical questions first: how the painting was made, how it travels, who handles framing, how long delivery takes and whether you can see the finished work on video before it ships. At this studio the work is sold direct, and the studio sends several videos of each finished painting before it ships.

Can I commission a painting instead of buying a finished one?

Yes. A commission here starts with a conversation about the room, a deposit secures the slot, two options are painted at the same time, and the collector chooses after a first reveal and up to two revision rounds. Deposit to delivery takes about four weeks, depending on the studio schedule.