Can you trust images of art on the Web? Buying art on the Internet

In comparison with shopping for branded consumer products, buying original items on the Internet makes you exceptionally vulnerable to deception. The unique item has no comparison and you are forced to base your judgement on what you see and read on-line. When it comes to more precious objects, such as works of art, the situation is particularly difficult.

On-line you are led to look at art in a certain way, whereas in a real situation it is you who chose your approach. Some less scrupulous dealers turn this to their advantage. Not only the extent of the artwork's spatial presentation is controlled, but also the visitor's perception of color, texture and detail. In commerce presentation is everything. No one would want to showcase a large painting in its entirety on a thumbnail as it would pass unnoticed, but blowing up a carefully chosen detail isn't that leading the web user astray? Isn't that prejudicing him in his attempt to imagine the proposed art in reality?

Leaving aside editing issues as lighting, contrast, blur and cutting, there is a fundamental problem with virtual presentations. In real life a painting is always approached globally. When facing a real hanging you are under influence of the 'setting', i.e. the distance between you and the art and the visual angle, the height of the hanging, the background and the immediate environment. You will first take in the whole, then the detail. On-line the approach is quite different; there is no environment and there are no rules as to the order of impressions; your idea of the art presented is in fact totally controlled by the web designer.

The idea that we form on the Web can lead us equally well to fantasy land as closer to reality. Bearing in mind that our imaginative process is the acting agent to the transaction in the sense that the result of our imaginative transfer encourages or discourages us to go ahead, we can understand the importance of getting web representations right. By 'right' we ought to mean as true as possible to reality, creating neither understatements nor overstatements of the art proposed.

Unfortunately, manipulation is taught as virtue in commercial schools. Market competition forces behaviour and the consequence is that practically all virtual presentations are in some way improving on reality. This is a fact of our commercial society and is not necessarily to be seen or apprehended as vice. However, for the person not having had his expectations met with, this is meagre consolation.

Beware thus, as a buyer, of being carried away by hasty conclusions and analyse carefully the necessarily biased documentation at hand.

The author, Michael de Bruges is an expert on Modern European Painting. See further European Fine Art, European Painting