Price on request, estimate or fixed price: how to read the price label on a work of art
A label with no figure (price on request) means the seller quotes on inquiry. An auction estimate is a low-to-high range, and the hammer price can fall outside it. A fixed price is one stated figure. At Perfeito Studio it is in Brazilian reais, beside the work's size, year and medium.
Price on request: a quote, not a secret
On a marketplace listing, "price on request" is a setting a seller can choose instead of showing a figure. Artmajeur, an online art marketplace, describes it plainly: the price does not appear to the public, and an interested buyer sends a request to receive a quote (Artmajeur documentation, accessed 31 October 2026).
Why a seller does this varies, and no single source settles it. Artlogic, which makes software for galleries, treats price publication as a choice among several transparency options: publishing prices online, including them in viewing rooms, sending clear price lists, or giving a direct quote without a lengthy inquiry process. It adds that transparency "does not require publishing every commercial detail" (Artlogic, 27 August 2026). For a buyer the practical reading is narrow: the figure exists, it is simply given on request. Ask for it together with the work's dimensions, year, medium and the documents that come with it, and ask whether the quote is the same one every other buyer receives.
An auction estimate: a range, a reserve and a starting bid
At Sotheby's, each lot is given a low and a high estimate, representing the opinion of the house's experts, and each lot has a starting bid, the lowest bid that can be placed. The pre-sale estimate is a guide: lots can realize prices above or below it, and the estimate does not include the buyer's premium (Sotheby's Guide for Buyers, accessed 31 October 2026).
The figure a seller will not accept below is separate and not printed in the catalogue. Sotheby's defines a reserve as the confidential minimum hammer price at which a lot will be sold, generally set as a percentage of the low estimate and never above it (Sotheby's Help Center, accessed 31 October 2026). So three numbers can sit behind one lot: the estimate range you can read, the reserve you cannot, and the final price after the premium and any local taxes. For the full mechanics see how art auctions work, and for what happens when a work has no auction record, how a specialist estimates it.
A fixed price: one figure beside the facts that explain it
A fixed price is the figure the seller has committed to publish, with nothing to reveal later. Artlogic's guide describes the aim as one reliable pricing record rather than separate versions for each channel, and warns that repeated or inconsistent discounts can create problems for an artist's wider market (Artlogic, 27 August 2026).
At Perfeito Studio, each work page carries the price in Brazilian reais (BRL), set by the studio, next to the Archive ID, year, medium and dimensions. Three examples from the catalogue: Amber Strata (Terra & Ether, 2026, mixed media with acrylic on canvas, 150 x 100 cm, AP-TAE-2026-004) is R$ 6,700; Genesis of Flame (Heart of Chaos, 2025, mixed media on canvas, 120 x 200 cm, AP-HOC-2025-001) is R$ 8,800; Golden Frond (Water & Bloom, 2026, watercolor and acrylic on paper, framed, 45 x 45 cm including the frame, AP-WAB-2026-001) is R$ 2,400. Each is a single, unique original; the studio does not set or quote secondary-market values.
Three labels side by side
- Price on request: no figure shown; ask for the quote, the dimensions and the documents.
- Auction estimate: a low and a high figure, a hidden reserve at or below the low end, and a premium added to the hammer price.
- Fixed price: one figure, one currency, listed with the work's size, year and medium, so that it can be read against a wall and against another work.
To compare two works, assume nothing: read size, medium, year and what is included, then compare like with like. The same method is set out in how to tell if a painting is fairly priced and, for the layout of a studio list, how a studio presents prices.
For those acquiring: scale, light, documents and shipping
Scale. The size on the label is the size on the wall. Amber Strata, at 150 x 100 cm, is a wide, horizontal field; a 45 x 45 cm work such as Golden Frond is a compact square, framed. Light. For a layered or textured surface, ask the studio for additional detail photographs; they are sent on request. Documents. Every acquisition is direct from the artist and includes the original painting, a signed Certificate of Authenticity with the full technical record and Archive ID, a fiscal invoice or official receipt, an Artwork Acquisition Agreement, an artist dossier, care guidance and professional packaging.
Shipping. The studio ships within Brazil and internationally. Shipping is quoted per destination and paid by the buyer, as are any import duties or taxes in the destination country; professional packaging is included and transit insurance is available. Details are on the shipping page.
From the studio
From the studio: why the label carries the dimensions
Alyne Perfeito is a Brazilian visual artist and trained architect based in Brasília. Her works are built in layers on canvas or paper, and each work page lists the dimensions beside the price, and a painting is easily read against a wall, a sofa or a doorway as well as an image. Amber Strata is listed at 150 x 100 cm and Golden Frond at 45 x 45 cm including its frame, each with its price in reais on the same page. Genesis of Flame has no fixed top or bottom and can be hung either way up, at the buyer's choice.
Frequently asked
Why do galleries hide prices?
There is no single documented reason. Artlogic presents publishing prices as one of several transparency options that depend on a gallery's strategy, and notes that transparency does not require publishing every commercial detail. Marketplaces such as Artmajeur offer a price-on-request setting under which the figure is given only to those who ask. For a buyer, it is a prompt to ask for the quote.
What does an auction estimate mean?
At Sotheby's, an estimate is a low and a high figure representing the opinion of its experts. It is a guide: lots can realize prices above or below it, and it does not include the buyer's premium. The confidential reserve is generally a percentage of the low estimate and never above it.
Is a fixed price negotiable?
A fixed price is the figure the seller has chosen to publish. Artlogic notes that repeated or inconsistent discounts can create problems for an artist's wider market, which is why many sellers keep one price across channels. The Perfeito Studio work pages state one price in BRL; for any question about terms, write to the studio on WhatsApp.
Which currency are the studio's prices in?
Prices are set by the studio and stated in Brazilian reais (BRL). The studio does not set or quote secondary-market values. For a figure in another currency, ask the studio directly and treat any conversion as approximate.
What is included in the price of a work?
Every acquisition is direct from the artist and includes the original, unique painting; a signed Certificate of Authenticity; a fiscal invoice or official receipt; an Artwork Acquisition Agreement; an artist dossier; care guidance; and professional packaging. Shipping is quoted per destination and paid by the buyer.
Ask the studio about a work
Write to the studio for the details, dimensions and detail photographs of a specific work.
Sources
- Artmajeur — 2026-10-31
- Artlogic (A Gallery Owner's Guide to Prices, 27 Aug 2026) — 2026-10-31
- Sotheby's — 2026-10-31
- Sotheby's Help Center — 2026-10-31
- Sotheby's Help Center — 2026-10-31
- Perfeito Studio — 2026-10-31
- Perfeito Studio — 2026-10-31
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