How Online Art Galleries Exploit Artists (And Why You Should Stay Away)

For years, artists have been told that online art galleries like Saatchi Art, Bluethumb, and Singulart are the key to selling art in the digital age. They promise global exposure, easy access to collectors, and a professional platform where you can showcase your work.

But here’s the hard truth: these platforms are not designed to support artists—they are designed to profit from artists. And too many creatives are falling into the trap of giving away control, income, and ownership of their art business in exchange for the false hope of “exposure.”

It’s time to pull back the curtain and expose how these online art galleries really operate.

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1. Commission Fees That Exploit Artists

Online galleries regularly take 30%–50% commissions on sales. That means if you sell a $2,000 painting, you’re only walking away with half.

For comparison: a luxury brand selling handbags, shoes, or jewelry would never give away half of their profit margin just for a “sales platform.” Yet artists, whose work often takes weeks or even months to create, are expected to hand over huge percentages simply to be listed among thousands of other artworks.

This is exploitation disguised as opportunity.

2. The Myth of Exposure

Saatchi Art, Bluethumb, and Singulart boast about their huge audiences. They claim millions of collectors browse their platforms, but here’s the reality:

You’re competing with tens of thousands of other artists.

Unless you pay for “featured spots,” your art is buried under endless listings.

Exposure doesn’t mean sales—it just means your work is sitting in a digital warehouse.

“Exposure” is the oldest trick in the book. It sounds valuable, but in most cases, it only benefits the platform.

3. Devaluing the Artist’s Work

By promoting affordability and accessibility, many online galleries push artists to lower their prices to compete.

This race to the bottom trains buyers to see art as a cheap commodity instead of a luxury, one-of-a-kind creation. Instead of teaching collectors to respect the time, talent, and energy behind a piece, these platforms encourage underpricing.

When art becomes undervalued, the artist always loses.

4. No Relationship With Collectors

In a traditional gallery, artists often get introduced to buyers, build connections, and develop long-term relationships with collectors. That’s how sustainable art careers are built.

On online platforms? That never happens.
You don’t get access to your buyer’s information. You don’t build a relationship. You don’t get a chance to turn a one-time buyer into a loyal collector.

The gallery owns the relationship—not you.

5. Artists Become the Product

Let’s be brutally honest: you are not their partner, you are their product.

Online galleries profit off your work by:

Taking commissions.

Using your art to attract buyers (who may never even see your portfolio).

Building their reputation while keeping you invisible.

These businesses survive because artists fuel them with free labor, free content, and free creativity. Without artists, these platforms are nothing. Yet they convince creators that they should be grateful for the chance to give away half their income.

That’s exploitation, plain and simple.

Why Artists Should Build Their Own Businesses Instead

Here’s the solution: stop relying on platforms that profit from you and build your own art business.

100% of the profits stay with you.

You control your prices—no pressure to discount or compete with thousands of listings.

You own the customer relationship, which means you can build loyal collectors who come back again and again.

You build your own brand, not someone else’s.

Yes, it takes work to set up your own website, learn marketing, and grow an audience. But every step you take is an investment in your future—not in a company that sees you as disposable.

The most successful artists today aren’t the ones stuck on platforms waiting for sales. They’re the ones who’ve taken control of their careers, treated their art as a luxury product, and built businesses that give them freedom and financial stability.

Final Thoughts: Take Back Your Power

Saatchi Art, Bluethumb, and Singulart might look shiny on the surface, but their business models are built on exploiting artists. High commissions, false promises of exposure, undervaluation, and loss of collector relationships all lead to the same result: artists working harder for less.

It’s time for artists to stop fueling these platforms and start building something that truly belongs to them.

Your art is not just a product to fill someone else’s website.
Your art is a business.
Your art is a legacy.
And you deserve to keep 100% of its value.