Naming your works: the importance of the title in the buying decision

Untitled: the most common and most costly reflex

The title Untitled is a legitimate choice when deliberate. Cy Twombly, Agnes Martin, and Donald Judd used Untitled as a declaration of principle: the work speaks for itself, without verbal support. But these artists had institutional recognition such that the title was superfluous. For an emerging artist, Untitled is rarely a strategic choice: it is often an admission of indecision.

A collector facing an Untitled work finds themselves without a handle. They cannot easily discuss it with friends, cannot identify it in conversation, cannot locate it in a catalogue. The title is a memory anchor: the word the collector will associate with the work in their memory, in their conversations, in their collection.

Studies conducted by the Department of Psychology at the University of Vienna demonstrated that artworks accompanied by elaborated titles generate greater aesthetic satisfaction than the same works presented without titles. The title influences perception, and perception influences the buying decision.

The title as a gateway into the work

A good title does not describe the work: it illuminates it from an unexpected angle. When Pierre Soulages titled his canvases Peinture followed by the date and dimensions, it was a referential system coherent with his artistic programme. When Anselm Kiefer titles a work Fur Paul Celan, he creates a bridge between painting and poetry, between image and history, offering the viewer a reading key that enriches the visual experience.

Franco-American artist Louise Bourgeois was a master of the title. Maman, the title of her monumental spider installed outside Tate Modern and the Guggenheim Bilbao, transforms a sculpture that might seem threatening into a maternal tribute. The title does not describe the form: it reveals the intention, and that revelation is what binds the viewer to the work.

Belgian painter Luc Tuymans uses short titles, often a single word, that act as sparks: Schwarzheide, Lumumba, The Secretary of State. These words open abysses of interpretation without imposing anything. The viewer is invited to search, to make connections, and that search creates an intellectual engagement that favours attachment to the work.

The title as a memorisation tool

At a fair, a salon, or a group exhibition, the collector sees dozens, sometimes hundreds of works. Those that remain in memory are those possessing an anchor: a striking colour, a compelling form, or a memorable title. The title is the word the collector will pronounce when telling a friend: you should see this piece called...

British artist Tracey Emin understood this mechanism better than anyone. My Bed, Everyone I Have Ever Slept With, I Follow You to the Sun: her titles are phrases that stick, that are shared, that circulate in conversations. These titles contributed as much as the works themselves to building her reputation.

You do not need to be provocative to create a memorable title. A precise word, an evocative image, a subtle reference will suffice. German painter Gerhard Richter, who numbered a large portion of his works, nonetheless gave evocative titles to certain series: Candle, Skull, Betty. These simple words create an immediate link between viewer and work.

Titling systems

Some artists develop titling systems that become a signature. American artist Robert Ryman, known for his white paintings, used titles such as Winsor, General, Embassy: words borrowed from daily life with no visual relationship to the work but creating a recognisable lexical universe. A Ryman collector immediately identifies the system and takes pleasure in it, much as one takes pleasure in recognising a writer's style.

British sculptor Anthony Caro titled his abstract sculptures with evocative names: Early One Morning, Month of May, Prairie. These poetic titles give a lyrical dimension to welded steel forms that might seem austere. They invite the viewer to reverie that the form alone might not provoke.

You can develop your own system. Some artists title by location, others by date, others by dominant colour, others by literary or musical reference. The important thing is coherence: a recognisable titling system strengthens the identity of your practice and creates continuity between works.

The title in the context of online sales

Online, the title plays an additional role: it is a referencing element. A collector searching for blue abstract painting on a search engine will be more likely to find your work if its title or description contains those terms. This is not a reason to title in a banal or descriptive manner, but it is a factor to keep in mind.

On sales platforms, the title is often the first text the buyer reads, before even looking at the image in detail. An intriguing title will encourage them to click, to look more closely, to read the description. A generic title such as Composition 47 or Red Abstraction creates no curiosity.

German photographer Andreas Gursky, whose prints reach record prices, titles his works with place names or situations: Rhein II, 99 Cent, Bangkok. These titles function as journalistic captions anchoring the image in reality and stoking viewer curiosity.

Titling in multiple languages

If you sell internationally, the question of language arises. Should you title in French, in English, in both? The most common practice is to title in your native language and provide a translation in parentheses or in the technical details.

Israeli-British artist Anish Kapoor titles his works in English, the lingua franca of the international art market. Japanese artist Chiharu Shiota uses English titles for her installations but sometimes retains Japanese references. French artist Daniel Buren titles in French with English translations for the international market.

The choice of titling language is also an identity choice. If your practice is deeply rooted in Francophone culture, titling in French affirms that identity. But ensure the title is comprehensible or intriguing for a non-Francophone buyer, or provide an accessible translation.

The title as an act of creation

Do not consider titling as an administrative chore to be dispatched after setting down the brush. The title is part of the work. It is the final creative gesture, the one that seals meaning and orients reception. Take the time to choose it, test it, let it mature. Some artists find the title before beginning the work; others find it weeks after finishing. There is no single method, but there is a common requirement: the title must match the work it accompanies.

On Artedusa, your work's title is highlighted in the presentation of each piece. It is the first word the collector reads, the first textual contact with your universe. A just, precise, evocative title can make the difference between a glance that passes and one that stops. Care for your titles as you care for your works, and discover how to showcase them at artedusa.com.