Is success in art sales based purely on the quality of the work?

No. Art sales are fundamentally not a meritocracy based solely on quality. People first want to know: Who is the artist? Do they have an interesting story? Do I relate to them? Do I like them? Only after those questions are answered does it become about the quality of the work. If you don’t have the story and the human connection, the work never sells, no matter how talented you are. This is a profound truth that almost no one talks about.

---

Asked by implied from teaching · Answered by Patrick · Art Business Webinar · 2026-06-26