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Mixed Media

Art as a Gift: How to Choose a Print Someone Will Love

· 4 min read

Giving art feels risky when you don't know someone's taste. It isn't — if you read the room they live in rather than guess at a favourite, size it sensibly, and lean on a returns window.

Art as a Gift: How to Choose a Print Someone Will Love — ArtMarket journal

Art is one of the most personal gifts you can give, which is exactly why people hesitate. What if they hate it? What if it doesn't fit? The fear is that you're gambling on someone else's taste. You're not — a good art gift comes from reading the person and their home, not from guessing their single favourite image. Do that, and a print becomes the rare gift that stays on the wall for years rather than in a drawer.

Here is how to choose one you can give with confidence.

Give the room, not the person

You don't need to know their taste in art. You need to know how they live. Picture the room the piece will hang in — the colours already there, whether it feels calm or busy, modern or warm. A gift that suits the space almost always suits the person, because they chose the space.

If their home is full of colour and pattern, a quiet black-and-white photograph gives the eye somewhere to rest. If it's pared-back and neutral, a bold mixed-media piece becomes the thing that brings it to life. Match the gift to the gap in the room.

Choose subjects that travel well

Some subjects are near-universally easy to live with; others are a stronger bet only when you know the person well. When you're unsure, steer toward the safe end:

  • Landscape and nature — calm, widely loved, hard to dislike. Our landscapes collection is the safest opening move.
  • Architecture and cityscapes — flattering for someone who loves a particular city or travels often.
  • Abstract work — colour and form with no subject to disagree with, which makes it surprisingly safe as a gift.
  • Portraits and figurative work — the most personal, and the most likely to divide opinion. Give these only when you know their taste.

Get the size right without measuring their wall

You usually can't measure the recipient's wall, so avoid the extremes. A very large statement piece assumes a specific empty wall; a tiny print risks looking like an afterthought. A medium format is the forgiving middle — it fits above a desk, a console, a bed or a reading chair without demanding a particular spot. If you want to understand the sizes, our print size guide covers standard dimensions in centimetres.

Every ArtMarket print ships unframed and rolled in a protective tube, which is an advantage for a gift: the recipient frames it to match their own room rather than being stuck with a frame you chose for them.

Set a budget — and know a good gift isn't an expensive one

A signed, original print says far more than its price. Our art under €60 collection is signed by the same artists, on the same premium paper, as everything else in the gallery — the difference is format, not quality. Prices across the gallery start at €40. If you're marking something bigger, a statement piece makes the occasion clear.

Make it feel personal

The story is half the gift. Because every piece here is the work of a named, independent artist, you can hand over more than an image: who made it, where they work, what the piece is about. Browsing by artist is the easiest way to find a maker whose story will mean something to the person you're buying for.

Buy with a safety net

The quiet worry with gifting art is "what if it's not quite right?" That's what a returns window is for. ArtMarket prints can be returned within 14 days of delivery, unframed and in original condition, for a full refund — so the recipient can exchange a piece that doesn't fit without any awkwardness. Delivery across the EU takes 3–7 business days and is free over €200, so order with a little time in hand before the occasion.

Start with a safe, well-loved subject from landscapes and nature or art under €60, or browse the full gallery to find the piece that fits their room.

Frequently asked questions

How do I choose art as a gift when I don't know their taste?
Choose for the room rather than the person. Think about the colours and mood of the space the piece will hang in, and pick something that fills a gap there. A widely loved subject like landscape or abstract work is the safest bet when you're unsure.
What size art print makes a good gift?
A medium format is the most forgiving, because you rarely know the recipient's wall. It fits above a desk, console, bed or chair without needing a specific spot. Avoid very large statement pieces unless you know exactly where it will go.
Do the prints come framed or gift-wrapped?
Prints ship unframed and rolled in a protective tube, which lets the recipient frame it to suit their own room. This also keeps the print safe in transit and means the gift isn't tied to a frame you chose for them.
What if the person doesn't like the print I chose?
ArtMarket accepts returns within 14 days of delivery, provided the print is unframed and in original condition, for a full refund. That makes art a lower-risk gift than it feels — an ill-fitting choice can be swapped without any fuss.