Amazon sells many things -- customers can shop for everything from electronics to grocery store items. With a Prime membership you can even receive free two-day shipping. But I doubt customers think of the retail giant in the same breath as an art gallery -- the Louvre certainly does not come to mind.
To be fair, the famous Paris museum is not selling off its collection on Amazon, or anywhere else, but art galleries now have a home on Amazon. Today the retailer announces Amazon Art, "a marketplace that gives customers direct access to more than 40,000 works of fine art from over 150 galleries and dealers".
Customers will now be able to explore fine art from galleries of varying sizes, including Paddle8 in New York, Holden Luntz in Miami, McLoughlin Gallery in San Francisco, Modernbook in San Francisco and Catherine Person Gallery in Seattle, as well as others from the US and those located in the UK, the Netherlands and Canada.
"We are excited to bring one of the largest selections of fine art direct from galleries to our customers. Amazon Art gives galleries a way to bring their passion and expertise about the artists they represent to our millions of customers", said Peter Faricy, vice president for the Amazon Marketplace
The new site allows customers to enjoy a gallery experience, browse by categories, view high quality images and detailed information, all from one place.
Make no mistake, this is still a store and the works are yours for purchase, though your wallet will certainly take a hit if you plan to pursue this.