Why is storytelling so important in selling art?

Art sales are 50-50: 50% is a meritocracy based on the quality of work and whether the subject matter resonates, but the other 50% is about who the artist is. People want to know: What makes you interesting? What makes you tick? Do I know, like, and trust you? Do we have things in common? Human beings are wired to do business with people they know, like, and trust. The perfect example is Van Gogh’s Starry Night and his other masterpieces. When his brother died, the widow held a gallery show with all those now-famous paintings, and none of it sold—not a single piece except one. Then she found Van Gogh’s letters describing each piece he created, published them in a book, and it became a bestseller in Paris. After people knew the story, she held another show and the work started selling like crazy. It’s the story, not just the work. Without the story, there’s nothing.

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Asked by synthesized from teaching · Answered by Patrick · Art Business Webinar · 2026-06-05