How does an art loan agreement work?

20-12-2017

Most (Dutch) galleries offer the possibility to lend or rent art, this is also called the art loan agreement. At each gallery the art loan agreement works a little different. But in general it often comes down to this:

You rent / lend art. For this you pay a small percentage of the value of the painting per month. You save a portion of the amount, this is your 'credit' at the gallery. You can use your credit later to purchase a work of art. Sometimes there is a maximum period of time associated with the rent / lending of a work of art, for example a year. When this period has expired, it is possible to exchange the work and lend / rent another work of art. Your credit then remains.

Why would you use the art loan agreement?
Using the art loan can have several advantages. Below I have listed three important ones:

- You are not attached to one work of art. By using the art loan agreement you can change art at home whenever you want. Handy when you move, quickly get tired of something or often change things at home.
- It makes the purchase of an expensive work of art more accessible. When you are in love with a work of art, but the purchase amount is not (yet) within your budget. You can choose to rent the artwork first. You pay a low amount per month and save to buy the artwork later. You;re also preventing the artwork being sold to someone else.
- When you are often in doubt before a purchase. When you see a beautiful painting or statue in a gallery, but aren't sure whether this piece would work in your interior. Is it not too big or too small? Does it color nicely with the interior? And will you not get bored? A good way to find answers to all these questions is to first rent the artwork for a period. After that it is easier to decide whether you want to keep this work, or rather try out another work.

How the art loan agreement works in my galery.
You rent / lend a work of art for a small amount per month. You can rent a work of art for a maximum period of one year. During or at the end of this year you can make three choices:

- You buy the artwork; All rent you have paid will be deducted from the purchase price.
- You rent another work of art: 40% of the rent paid remains as 'credit'.
- You stop renting. : 40% of the paid rent remains as 'credit'.

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How does an art loan agreement work?

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