Over the last twenty years of owning a gallery, one of the questions I've been asked more than almost any other is: What size paintings sell best? Closely followed by: What price point seems to work?
I wish there were a magical formula. If there was, every artist would simply paint the same size over and over and we'd all be retired on a beach somewhere.
The truth is a little more complicated, but there are certainly patterns I've noticed.
One of the most practical considerations is wall space. Many collectors are looking for artwork to live above a couch, a bed, a fireplace, or a dining room sideboard. Those are spaces that exist in countless homes, so paintings that comfortably fit those areas tend to have a natural advantage. Not because they're better, but because people can immediately imagine where they'll live.
I've also noticed that 24" x 24" is a surprisingly sweet spot. It's large enough to feel substantial, yet small enough to fit in a wide range of homes. For artists, it's also relatively easy to store, frame, and ship compared to larger work. It checks a lot of boxes.
Price is equally interesting. Over the years, I've watched buyers make a noticeable mental leap when a piece crosses the $5,000 threshold. A painting priced at $4,800 often feels like it's competing in one category, while a painting priced at $5,200 suddenly feels like it's competing in an entirely different one. It's not rational, but collecting art isn't always rational. Numbers have a funny way of creating psychological boundaries.
That said, I've seen tiny paintings sell for enormous prices and massive paintings sell for modest ones. I've seen works fly off the wall on opening night and others sit quietly for years before finding exactly the right collector.
Which brings me to the most important lesson I've learned.
Great paintings sell.
Sometimes they sell quickly. Sometimes they take months. Occasionally they take years. But truly memorable work has a way of finding the person it was meant for. The size helps. The price matters. Presentation matters. Timing certainly matters. But none of those things matter as much as creating something that genuinely resonates.
There may not be a perfect size or a perfect price, but there is such a thing as a great painting. In the long run, that's the only part worth obsessing over.
