How is Artelier Business different from Artwork Archive?

Artwork Archive is a solid inventory archive that stores what you decide. Artelier Business goes further: it helps you decide, building each price from your real sales history, and it is built for the active side of a practice, opportunities, exhibitions and closing sales, not just cataloguing.

Why use Artelier Business instead of a spreadsheet?

A spreadsheet stores rows; it cannot price your work, remind you of a deadline, or turn your history into value. Artelier Business builds a defensible price from your sales history, tracks opportunities and deadlines, and generates certificates, portfolios and invoices.

Is Artelier Business good for artist managers and galleries?

Yes. It runs a whole roster from one place, each artist kept separate, with per-artist pricing, inventory, opportunities, exhibitions and sales. The Studio and Bespoke plans are made for managers and galleries; Bespoke includes a custom gallery site and assisted onboarding.

Does Artelier Business take a commission on sales?

No. Artelier Business charges a flat monthly fee only. Every sale you make is 100% yours.

What is Artelier Art Business AI?

An all-in-one business management companion for fine art creatives, featuring AI-powered inventory, legal support, and professional document generation.

What do I say when a collector asks if I work with galleries?

The honest answer, always: "I sell directly at the moment, and I work with galleries on specific projects when the fit is right." This preserves optionality, doesn't close any doors, and signals confidence rather than desperation. Never apologise for selling direct — most major collectors do this regularly.

How do I invoice for an art sale?

A compliant art sales invoice needs: artist name and address, buyer name and address, invoice number, date, artwork title and details (medium, dimensions, year), price, and applicable tax. In France, the EU, and most other jurisdictions, you must also include your tax registration number (SIRET / VAT ID where relevant). Artelier generates compliant invoices automatically when you record a sale.

Should I charge VAT on art sales?

It depends on your jurisdiction and turnover threshold. In France, artists fall under specific VAT rules with reduced rates on direct studio sales. In the UK and many EU countries, you only charge VAT once you exceed the registration threshold. Always check with a local accountant — the rules favour artists more than most people realise.

How do I handle shipping when selling direct?

Either ship from the studio yourself (clear documentation, customs paperwork for international) or use a fine-art shipper for higher-value works. Always quote shipping separately from the artwork price, and always require payment to clear before shipping. Artelier generates customs-grade shipping documents for the exact origin-to-destination corridor.

Will galleries refuse to work with me if I sell direct?

No serious gallery will. Galleries care about market discipline (consistent prices, no undercutting their inventory), not about whether you ever sell direct. The artists most galleries want to represent are the ones already running their practice professionally — direct sales, when handled with consistent pricing, are evidence of exactly that.

How to sell your art without a gallery

Name: Artelier
Price: 9.00 EUR
Author: Marques Hardin

By Marques Hardin, artist manager · Paris & Rome

Published 10 June 2026 · 6 min read

Most working artists today sell at least some of their work directly. The question is not whether to do it — it's how to do it without undermining your gallery relationships, your pricing, or your tax position. Here's the working method.

The relationship is the asset

Direct sales rest on one foundation: a list of collectors who know your work, trust your prices, and will hear from you before the public does. Without that list, every sale is a one-off transaction. With it, every show, every new series, every studio visit becomes a market event. The work of selling direct is, in practice, the work of building and maintaining that list.

Build it slowly. Every studio visit, every fair conversation, every collector who bought a print — into the list. Note what they own, what they asked about, what they said about price. The list is not 5,000 names. The list is 80 names you actually know. That's enough for a full career.

Pricing discipline is non-negotiable

The single fastest way to ruin direct sales is to discount inconsistently. A 15% "studio price" you give one buyer becomes the public price of every future work, because the buyer tells one collector friend, who tells two more. Your gallery, if you have one, will find out within weeks — and they will stop showing your work.

The rule: the price the collector pays direct is the same as the price they would pay through a gallery. The difference is who keeps the money. The buyer is not entitled to a discount because they came to your studio; they are receiving access, which is a privilege, not a justification to negotiate. If you give a discount, give it for terms (instalments, layaway, two works) — never on the headline number.

What to say when galleries ask

Be direct, never apologetic. "I sell direct from the studio at the moment, and I'm open to gallery representation when the fit is right." That sentence does three things: it tells the truth, it doesn't close the door, and it makes clear you have options. Galleries respect artists with options. Artists who appear desperate for representation are the ones who get the worst terms.

If you already have gallery representation in one market, direct sales in another market are normal and expected — every working artist does this. Be transparent with your gallery about which sales happened directly and what the buyer paid. No gallery objects to direct sales handled at full retail with disclosure; every gallery objects to discounted direct sales they discover by accident.

The paperwork that keeps it legal

Three documents make a direct sale legitimate, in this order: a sales invoice with your tax identification, a payment record, and a Certificate of Authenticity issued to the buyer. The invoice is your tax record; the COA is the buyer's proof of ownership and provenance. Both should carry consistent numbering, your studio details, and the artwork's specifics.

In France and most EU jurisdictions, artists fall under specific VAT and tax regimes that favour direct sales more than most assume. Talk to an accountant once — the cost is recovered in the first sale after you understand which rules apply to you.

Sell direct without the paperwork pain

Artelier generates compliant invoices, certificates of authenticity, and shipping documents automatically — every time you record a sale.

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Frequently asked questions

Yes, in every major market. Selling your own work directly to collectors is the original form of art sales — galleries are a later intermediary, not a requirement. You will need to invoice properly for tax purposes and, depending on jurisdiction, register as a self-employed artist or small business. The platform side is simple; the paperwork side just needs to be in order.