The private commission: when the collector wants a bespoke work

Contemporary forms of the commission

The contemporary private commission takes varied forms. The most frequent case is the site-specific commission: a collector furnishing a new residence or renovating a space wants a work designed for a particular wall, garden or entrance hall. Interior architects and decorators are often the source of these commissions, acting as intermediaries between collector and dealer.

Commemorative or personal commissions constitute another category. A collector who wants a portrait, a work connected to a family event or a piece that evokes a sentimental place engages an artist to create a work carrying an intimate dimension. David Zwirner has publicly discussed the frequency of such requests to his artists, noting that the private commission remains a significant economic driver for galleries representing figurative artists.

Corporate commissions form a third segment. Companies wanting works for their headquarters, reception halls or working spaces engage galleries to design bespoke artistic programmes. The Fondation Cartier, through its work with living artists for its Jean Nouvel building on Boulevard Raspail, has illustrated this practice at an institutional level that inspires numerous private commissions on a smaller scale.

The dealer's role in the commission

The dealer is the pivot of the private commission. Their role goes beyond that of a simple commercial intermediary. They must understand the collector's request, assess its compatibility with the artist's practice, organise the meeting between the two parties and ensure that the creative process respects the patron's expectations without compromising the artistic integrity of the work.

This position demands thorough knowledge of each represented artist's work. The dealer must know which artists accept commissions and under what conditions, what the usual creation timelines are, what budgets to anticipate, and what boundaries must not be crossed. A conceptual artist working on social issues will probably refuse a purely decorative commission. A figurative painter may accept a portrait commission while imposing conditions on its execution.

Galerie Thaddaeus Ropac, with spaces in Paris, Salzburg, London and Seoul, regularly manages private commissions for its artists. The process typically involves a site visit by the artist, a dialogue phase with the collector, the production of maquettes or sketches, and oversight of the realisation through to final installation.

Negotiating price and terms

Pricing a private commission does not follow the same rules as selling an existing work. The artist devotes creation time specifically dedicated to the project, which justifies a premium over the price of a similar work available in the gallery. This premium varies considerably by artist and market but generally falls between twenty and fifty per cent of the price of a work of comparable dimensions and complexity.

The commission contract must specify several essential elements. The dimensions of the work, the medium used, the production schedule, payment terms (typically a deposit on signing and the balance on delivery), cancellation conditions for either party, and intellectual property must be clearly defined. Professional gallery associations recommend written contracts for any commission above a certain threshold.

The dealer must also address the question of approval rights. Can a collector who commissions a work refuse the result if it does not meet expectations? The answer varies by convention: some artists deliver a finished work that the patron accepts as is; others incorporate intermediate validation stages. The dealer must clarify this question from the outset to avoid conflict.

Protecting artistic integrity

The principal risk of the private commission is the subordination of creation to the client's demand. A collector commissioning a work is not purchasing a product from a catalogue: they are engaging a creative process whose outcome depends on the artist's freedom. The dealer must ensure this boundary is respected.

An artist who accepts a commission must not become an executor. Their vision, style and artistic preoccupations must remain at the centre of the process. The dealer acts as a mediator who translates the collector's wishes into a framework within which the artist can work freely. If a collector requests a blue painting two metres by three for their living room, the dealer does not transmit this request verbatim to the artist: they organise a conversation in which the collector expresses their desires and the artist proposes their response.

Galerie Perrotin has accompanied commissions by its artists such as Daniel Arsham and JR in private contexts where the tension between client demand and artist freedom was resolved through structured dialogue. These experiences show that the successful commission is one where the collector trusts the artist and the artist takes the destination context into account without submitting to it.

Timelines and expectation management

Creation time is one of the most delicate aspects of the private commission. A collector who commissions a work for the inauguration of their new house in six months may collide with the artist's temporality, which follows its own rhythms and cannot be accelerated without affecting quality.

The dealer must establish realistic expectations from the outset. Commission timelines for established artists can reach twelve to eighteen months, or longer for the most sought-after. This temporality should be presented not as an inconvenience but as a sign of the artist's commitment and the quality of the expected result.

Regular communication during the creation period is essential. A dealer who keeps the collector informed of the project's progress — without revealing every detail, to preserve the element of surprise — maintains the patron's confidence and enthusiasm. Some artists allow the collector to visit their studio during production, creating a personal bond that enriches the commission experience.

The commission as a collector loyalty tool

The private commission is an act of reciprocal trust that creates a lasting bond between collector, artist and gallery. A collector who owns a work created specifically for them maintains a relationship with that piece different from one they have with a work bought at a fair booth. This emotional dimension reinforces attachment to the gallery that made the experience possible.

Galleries that offer this service to their most loyal collectors build a competitive advantage that online sales platforms and auction houses cannot replicate. The private commission is an artisanal, personal service that demands an intimate knowledge of artists and collectors that only the local dealer possesses.

For galleries on Artedusa, the ability to organise private commissions is a high-value service that can be mentioned in the gallery's presentation. Collectors who discover an artist on the platform and wish to go beyond available works find in the private commission a way to deepen their relationship with art, guided by a trusted dealer.