Every few months a headline announces that a painting sold for a record price, and somewhere a reader thinks: should I be buying art instead of mutual funds?
It is a fair question. Here is our honest answer, as a company that sells original art for a living: for most people, art is a poor financial investment and a very good personal one. If you want returns, there are easier places to put your money. If you want something that changes how your home feels every single day, few purchases come close.
This piece explains why, looks at what auction records really tell you, lists the costs nobody mentions, and then gets practical: how to buy an original painting well, so that whatever happens to its price, you are glad you bought it.
A note before we start. We are not financial advisers, and nothing here is investment advice. If you are thinking about art as part of your finances, speak to someone qualified.
What auction headlines leave out
Records are real. Indian folk and tribal art does sometimes sell for large sums. Rooftop's artist pages record a painting by Gond artist Gariba Singh Tekam selling for ₹3,30,108 at Saffronart in 2020, and Baiga painter Jodhaiya Bai's Untitled realising ₹48,00,000 at Pundole's in March 2025.
Those numbers are worth knowing. They show that collectors and institutions take these traditions seriously. But they do not tell you what most paintings are worth, and they say nothing about what a painting you buy today will fetch later. Here is why.
A Gond painting by Sandip Dhurve. In tribal art, prices follow the individual artist, not the art form
You only hear about the winners. Auction houses publicise records. Nobody announces the thousands of works that sold below their estimate, or did not sell at all.
The artist matters more than the art form. A record for one Padma Shri painter does not lift every painting in that tradition. Prices follow individual reputations, exhibitions and museum collections.
The timeline is long. Many of the artists who now fetch strong prices worked for decades with little market attention. The collectors who did well often bought because they loved the work, and kept it for twenty or thirty years.
And the price is not what you take home. Which brings us to costs.
The costs nobody mentions
Shares can be sold in seconds for a tiny fee. Art cannot.
Selling takes time. Finding the right buyer for a particular painting can take months or years, and you may have to accept less than you hoped if you need the money quickly.
Selling costs money. Auction houses charge sellers a commission and charge buyers a premium on top of the hammer price. Galleries take a share too. The gap between what a buyer pays and what a seller receives can be large.
Owning costs money. Framing, insurance, careful storage, and occasional cleaning or conservation all add up, especially for works on paper and cloth.
Art pays no income. There are no dividends and no interest. Its only financial return is a future sale price, and that is uncertain.
Fake and misattributed work is a risk. In any market where prices rise, copies follow. Without solid documentation, a painting can be hard to sell at any price.
None of this means you should not buy art. It means you should not buy art because you expect it to make you money.
Lizard and frogs, a Bhil painting by Lado Bai. The real return is living with something like this every day
So what is art good for?
Flip the question and the answer is easy.
An original painting is something you look at every day. It holds a story about where it came from, who painted it and why. It changes how a room feels in a way no print or poster can, because you can see where the brush slowed down and where the artist changed their mind.
And when you buy directly from a living artist, the money does real work. It pays for their time, their materials and their children's school fees. In traditions where families have painted for generations, sales are what keep the next generation painting. That is a return, just not one you can put in a spreadsheet.
An aged surface does not prove a painting is old or valuable
What actually affects an artwork's value
You may still care about value, and that is reasonable. Nobody wants to overpay or buy something that turns out to be worthless. These are the factors that matter most, whether you are thinking about resale or simply about paying a fair price.
The artist
Who made it is the biggest single factor. Look for an artist with a clear record: how long they have been painting, who taught them, awards, exhibitions and collections. Rooftop's artist pages set this out for each painter.
Authenticity and documentation
Can you prove the painting is what the seller says it is? A certificate of authenticity from a credible seller, a clear invoice and a direct link to the artist all help. Every artwork sold on Rooftop comes with a certificate of authenticity.
Originality
An original hand-painted work is a different object from a print, however good the print. If you are not sure how to tell them apart, read our guide to telling a genuine painting from a printed one.
Condition
Tears, fading, water stains and flaking paint all reduce value. So does bad restoration. Look closely, ask for close-up photos in daylight, and ask whether the work has ever been repaired.
Quality within the artist's work
Not every painting by a good artist is their best. Strong composition, confident line, careful finishing and an interesting subject all matter. Compare a few works by the same artist before you decide.
Rarity and scale
Larger, more complex works by senior painters are rarer and generally cost more. That does not make them better for you. A small, dense sheet of paper by a master can be the strongest work on the wall.
Close detail on a hand-painted Pichwai. Careful finishing is one of the clearest signs of quality
How to buy an original painting well
Whatever your budget, the same habits apply.
Buy what you love. This sounds soft. It is the most practical advice there is. If the price never goes up, you still own something you are happy to see every morning.
Set a budget you would be comfortable spending on a holiday or a good piece of furniture. Not money you might need back.
Learn a little first. Reading about a tradition before you buy makes you a better judge of quality. Our collector's guide to buying traditional Indian paintings is a good start, and if you want to go further, learning to paint a tradition yourself teaches you more about quality than anything else. Rooftop's Indian art courses are taught by the same master artists whose work you might buy.
Ask questions. Who painted it? On what surface? With which colours? When? A good seller answers clearly. Every Rooftop listing has an enquiry button for exactly this.
Keep the paperwork. Invoices, certificates and any notes about the artist should stay with the painting.
Look after it. Frame works on paper and cloth under glass, keep them out of direct sun and damp, and dust gently. Good care protects both the painting and whatever it may be worth one day.
Where to start, at every budget
If you are buying your first original, you do not need to spend a lot. Rooftop's price-band guides walk through real paintings at each level:
- Paintings under ₹10K, small works on paper and Majarpat for a first purchase.
- Paintings under ₹25K, where sizes and surfaces start to open up.
- Paintings under ₹50K, canvases by painters with long records.
- Paintings under ₹1 lakh, where you pay for the hand as much as for the size.
Or browse all original paintings on Rooftop, each one certified original and hand-painted by a verified artist who earns a royalty on the sale.
Knowing the artist behind a painting matters more than any label
The short version
Is art a good investment? As a way to grow your money, usually not. It is slow to sell, costly to trade and impossible to predict.
As a way to live with something beautiful, support an artist and own a piece of a living tradition, it is one of the best things you can spend money on.
Buy the painting you want to see every morning. If it also goes up in value, treat that as a bonus.
Frequently asked questions
Is buying art a good investment in India?
For most buyers, no, if you mean financial returns. Art is hard to sell quickly, carries high transaction costs and pays no income. Prices for a few well-known artists rise, but most paintings do not. Buy art because you love it, and treat any increase in value as a bonus.
Does Indian folk and tribal art increase in value?
Some artists' work has sold for large sums at auction, but that does not mean every painting in a tradition will rise. Value depends mainly on the individual artist, the quality of the work, its condition and its documentation.
How do I know if a painting is original?
Look for brushwork, texture and slight irregularities, check the back and the edges, and ask for a certificate of authenticity from a credible seller. Our guide to telling genuine paintings from prints covers eight checks.
Do Rooftop paintings come with a certificate of authenticity?
Yes. Every artwork sold on Rooftop comes with a certificate of authenticity, and the artist earns a royalty on each sale.
This article is general information, not financial advice.
