How to find an artwork privately, without going through auction houses

Why not an auction house

Auction houses only show you what is consigned that season, every bid is public, and the buyer’s premium adds 25–40% on top of the hammer price. Working privately inverts this: galleries, dealers and collectors holding works by the artist you want are approached discreetly; nothing is published, and your identity stays hidden until you decide to settle a transaction.

How it works at Finarta

You post a confidential request, artist, period, budget, condition requirements. It travels to the relevant galleries in the network and to collectors selling comparable works. Matching proposals come back to you, on average 2.5 per request, with documentation: certificate of authenticity, condition report, provenance.

You transact directly with the seller, assisted by Finarta’s team at every step. Transaction fees are 3% on the buyer and 3% on the seller, agreed in the open before anything proceeds.

Who this is for

Finarta is selective: a private collectors club for collectors of museum-quality works, typically from €100,000 to several million euros, with an average transaction of about €500,000. Membership is €1,000 for twelve months and applications are vetted.

For a single, specific and important work, the private route is faster than consigning to a season calendar, and it keeps your search and your ceiling price out of public view.