Art is one of the most lucrative industries in the world. With painting and sculptures ranging in the millions. But what actually makes it so expensive? Well, there are a variety of factors that contribute to a piece of art being so expensive. Now if you are trying to get into the world of art, don’t worry there are affordable pieces out there.

Getty Images/DigitalVision/Thomas Barwick

The first element that is looked at when determining the value of art is authenticity. True originals will go for far more than fakes. Next on the list is provenance. This also refers to the history of the owner. This may seem strange but where a piece of art comes from and who owned it can automatically increase its value. One common factor you will find with any expensive item no matter what it is is the condition of the time. The same can be said for artwork. Unfortunately if it art is not correctly taken care of it and it ends up with rips, tears and even sun damage, this can drastically decrease its value. No something else that shouldn’t come as a surprise is the name of the artist.

If the artist is popular at the moment then the chases of their work have a higher price increase. The medium of the artwork will help it sell for more. For example, if a painting is done on a canvas it’s likely to cost more than a painting done on paper. Then we have the actual subject matter. Paintings of women tend to tell for more but there are a few others that are expensive as well. Lastly an artwork’s “wall power” is probably one of the most important factors when determining its value. Basically “wall power” determines if a piece of work attracts people, if it shocks views and if it causes mystery. You see there are a lot of factors that go into determining the value of the artwork.