What commission will the gallery take?
Ask for the figure, what it is taken from, and what it covers. Some galleries take a share of the sale price, and others work differently. The question to settle is what you receive after the sale, in rupees, once everything is deducted.
Ask whether framing, photography, shipping, event costs or tax are deducted from your share. Terms differ between galleries and should be agreed in writing before any work leaves your studio. If you submit work to Arts Bespoke through /artists/, ask the house for its terms, because they are not published.
Ask for an example. A worked sum, from the price a buyer pays to the amount you receive, shows every deduction in one place and avoids surprises later.
What should the consignment terms say?
A written agreement should list each work by title, size, medium and year, with an agreed price. It should state how long the gallery holds the work, how either side can end the arrangement, and how work is returned.
Ask for a signed copy and for a condition note on handover. A verbal promise is hard to prove later, and a list of works is easiest to agree when the paintings are in the room.
Ask what happens if the gallery closes, changes owner or stops answering. A clause on how you collect your work in that case is worth having before you need it.
Who owns the work, and who insures it?
Normally, a work on consignment still belongs to you until it is sold and paid for. Do not assume this. Ask the gallery to state it in the agreement.
Then ask who insures the work while it is in the gallery, in transit and at fairs, what the cover is worth, and who pays if it is damaged or lost. Ask to see the arrangement, not only to be told about it.
If the work travels to a fair or a client's home, ask who is responsible on the road and who pays for packing. Keep your own photographs of each painting before it leaves, with the date.
Who sets the price?
Ask who decides the price and whether you are consulted before it changes. A price that falls sharply can affect how your other work is seen, so agree in writing whether discounts are allowed and who must approve them.
Ask how the gallery arrives at a price for a painter at your stage, and what it would show a buyer to support it.
If you disagree with a price, say so early and in writing. A good dealer will explain the reasoning and will not be offended by the question.
How and when will you be paid?
Ask for the number of days after the buyer pays, the method, and what statement comes with each payment. Ask what happens if the buyer pays in instalments.
Ask for a sale report listing the work, the buyer's price, the deductions and your share. You are entitled to understand each figure.
Keep your own copy of every statement. Your records and the gallery's should agree, and if they do not, you want to find out soon.
What records, unsold work and exclusivity should you ask about?
Ask whether each sale comes with an invoice, a certificate of authenticity, a condition report and a recorded ownership history, and whether you are given copies. These records protect your name in later years.
Ask when unsold work comes back, who pays the return costs, and whether the gallery may sell elsewhere. Ask whether exclusivity applies to a city, a country or all your work, and for how long.
A fair answer on any of these points is one you can read back to yourself a year later and still understand. If a term is vague, ask for it to be made specific.
Written by the house and last reviewed on 21 October 2026. General information only: for a decision about a particular work, write to the house or take professional advice.
