So, you want to buy art online? Do you know a Manet from a Monet and did you think that Francis Bacon was the name of a famous chain of butchers?

Stop right there, before you start thinking about buying art from anywhere shouldn't you make sure you know something about it? Well actually no is the answer to that, having an extensive knowledge of art doesn't necessarily mean you have more capacity to appreciate fine art any more than the person who occasionally visits a gallery or buys a Picasso postcard from your local branch of Athena.

Art appreciation comes from within and whilst having an eye for composition is something that a person is generally blessed with, everybody's tastes are different and what warms one man's heart might turn another's to stone.

Having knowledge of art doesn't change your ability to appreciate it. You need not necessarily know who painted 'the Scream' to know that it is a fantastic piece of art.
One truth however is that by viewing more art you can formulate clearer ideas about what you like and what you don't like which is the most important starting point towards building up any kind of personal collection. Buy books, visit galleries regularly and view exhibitions of differing styles of work.

From there your next step is to identify artists whose work interests you. If you are not interested in collecting artwork for its financial value then look for pieces that you feel would look good in your home and compliment your decor.