Selling in English when you think in French: the vocabulary that converts

01The gap between textbook English and art English

The English you learned at school is general English, correct but generic. When you describe your work in English, you probably use words like "beautiful", "interesting" or "unique". These words tell an anglophone collector nothing. They are too vague, too worn to trigger an emotion or a purchase decision.

The anglophone art market has its own lexicon, forged by decades of criticism, catalogues and sales texts. This lexicon is precise, evocative, and loaded with connotations that the uninitiated do not perceive. When a London gallery describes a work as "compelling" rather than "interesting", it sends a completely different signal. "Compelling" suggests the work exerts an irresistible pull, that it deserves pause. "Interesting" suggests one might possibly glance at it if time permits.

Artist and dealer Larry Gagosian, who built the world's largest gallery empire, is known for the precision of his language. His press releases never use a word at random. Every term is chosen to produce a specific effect on the reader, whether critic, collector or curator.

02The artist statement: the most poorly translated text

The statement is often the first text an international collector reads about your work. And it is the text French artists translate most poorly. The reason is simple: the French tradition of art discourse is abstract, theoretical, philosophical. The anglophone tradition is concrete, direct, and oriented towards the viewer's experience.

A typical French statement begins with "Mon travail interroge les rapports entre..." This phrasing is a classic of French contemporary art, but it does not work in English. "My work questions the relationships between..." sounds academic and distant to an anglophone reader. The phrasing that works is active and experiential: "I explore how... (light transforms space)", "I investigate the tension between... (control and accident)", "My practice centres on... (the physicality of paint)".

Artist Anish Kapoor, born in India and trained in England, writes statements of exemplary clarity. His texts avoid jargon and speak directly about the experience his works produce in the viewer. This is not about simplification; it is about perspective: the anglophone statement speaks from the work towards the viewer, not from theory towards the work.

03Words that sell and words that repel

Certain English words have measurable conversion power in the art market context. Anglophone dealers know this from experience.

Words that attract collectors: "luminous" (evokes a work's inner light), "evocative" (suggests the work triggers emotions), "bold" (indicates artistic risk-taking), "intimate" (creates a feeling of closeness), "nuanced" (signals depth), "visceral" (suggests a physical reaction). These words are not marketing tricks; they are terms collectors recognise and that help them verbalise what they feel before a work.

Words to avoid: "nice" (too weak, suggests polite indifference), "very" (paradoxically weakens the word it is supposed to strengthen), "stuff" (too casual for a professional context), "masterpiece" (pretentious when the artist says it), "genius" (same problem). British artist and critic Matthew Collings has often remarked ironically on artists who describe their own work with superlatives: it produces the opposite effect from the one intended.

04Artwork descriptions that convert

An artwork description is a sales text. Not a loud advertisement, but a text that gives the collector the keys to understand and appreciate what they see. The structure that works in English follows a precise pattern.

The first element is the immediate reaction the work provokes. "This painting arrests the viewer with its..." or "The eye is immediately drawn to..." These formulations place the collector in an experience, not an analysis.

The second element is technical context. Anglophone collectors want to know how the work was made, not to become technical experts, but because the creation process is part of the value. "Built up through successive layers of..." or "Working with hand-mixed pigments on..." This information gives the work depth.

The third element is the connection to the artist's broader practice. "This piece continues the artist's exploration of..." or "Part of an ongoing investigation into..." This link shows the work is not an isolated object but a step in a coherent journey.

Artist and printmaker Kiki Smith is remarkable in how her sales texts combine accessibility and depth. Her descriptions are neither hermetic nor simplistic: they give the reader just enough information to feel competent and intrigued.

05Emails that get responses

Email communication with anglophone galleries and collectors follows precise codes. French business style tends towards formality, elaborate politeness, and complex salutations. Professional English gets to the point.

A presentation email to an American or British gallery should not exceed five lines. "Dear [name], I am a French painter working with [technique/medium]. My work explores [one-sentence description]. I believe my practice would be a strong fit for your programme. Please find my portfolio at [link]. I would welcome the opportunity to discuss further." That is all. No "I have the honour to present to your distinguished attention my humble artistic endeavour". This phrasing, which might pass in formal French, is fatal in English.

London dealer Jay Jopling, founder of White Cube, has confirmed in several interviews that the most effective emails are the shortest. The link to the work does the rest. If the work is of interest, conversation will follow.

For exchanges with collectors, the tone is slightly warmer but remains direct. "Thank you for your interest in my work. This piece is from my [series name] series, which I developed during [context]. It is available at [price]. I would be happy to provide additional images or answer any questions." Clarity and availability are the two qualities anglophone collectors appreciate most.

06The pitfalls of machine translation

Machine translation tools have made enormous progress, but they remain dangerous for artistic texts. DeepL and Google Translate produce grammatically correct but culturally flat translations. They do not know the art market's specific register and often translate French expressions literally, producing unintentional gallicisms.

The most common example is "plastique". In French, "arts plastiques" is a common and respectable expression. The literal translation "plastic arts" exists in English but sounds dated and clumsy. The current expression is "visual arts" or simply "fine arts". An American collector who reads "plastic arts" in a statement perceives an artist who does not master their market's codes.

Similarly, "oeuvre" does not always translate as "work". In a sales context, "piece" is often more natural. "I would like to acquire this piece" sounds better than "I would like to acquire this work" in a commercial conversation. "Work" is more commonly used in a critical or academic context: "the body of work", "a significant work in the artist's career".

The most effective solution is to have your English texts reviewed by a native English speaker who knows the art world. Not a generalist translator, not a friend who speaks English fluently: someone who reads art catalogues in English and immediately spots formulations that sound wrong. This investment, modest in financial terms, makes a considerable difference in terms of credibility.

07Building your linguistic confidence

You do not need to speak English perfectly to sell internationally. You need to master a limited but precise vocabulary, adapted to your field. A few dozen words and expressions, used correctly, suffice to communicate with anglophone galleries and collectors in a professional manner.

The most effective method is to read texts from anglophone galleries that represent artists whose work is close to yours. Not to copy them, but to absorb their vocabulary and turns of phrase. Websites of galleries like Gagosian, Hauser and Wirth, Pace and White Cube publish remarkably well-written texts for each exhibition. These texts are a free masterclass in art market English.

Listening to art podcasts in English is another way to internalise the vocabulary. The Art Newspaper Podcast, Talk Art and A Piece of Work expose the listener to how anglophone professionals talk about art, with nuances and inflections that written text does not always convey.

Artedusa facilitates this linguistic transition by offering you a bilingual framework where your work is presented professionally in French and English. International collectors who discover your profile on Artedusa find artwork descriptions, a statement and a career presented in market-appropriate English, which eliminates the language barrier that holds back so many French artists in their international development.