Salisbury was crowned the UK's art 'capital' in terms of art purchased per resident according to new data. 

The largest online art marketplace, Artfinder, has published the UK cities which  have bought the most art from the site since 2017.

After adjusting for population size, Salisbury came out on top with an equivalent of 515 artworks bought per 100,000 inhabitants.

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They also analysed other trends, for example Salisbury’s art lovers buy more paintings than any other kind of art. 

Oil and acrylic paintings made up 38% of all pieces bought.  

Nature seems to be the most sought-after subject, with landscapes, sea and sky making 28% of all purchases and animal and birds making 18.5% of all purchases. 

Grey artwork made up 68.5% of Salisbury’s pieces, aligning with a nationwide trend for this colour preference. 

Alongside Salisbury, Oxford, Cambridge, Gloucester and Chelmsford also ranked in the top five.

There are a number of local artists who also sell their work using Artfinder.

Salisbury-based artist James Earley uses his art to raise awareness of issues in the world today, such as homelessness, poverty, war, and mental health.

The hyperrealism artist is currently working on a series of portraits of homeless people who are living on the streets of Salisbury and Southampton.

Mr Earley commented: “Salisbury is an ideal city to practise and show art and being crowned as the art buying capital of the UK makes me feel very proud. 

“It is a huge compliment to the city and to those who have pushed art to the forefront through opening studios and exhibitions. It is now one of the pillars of the city and I truly believe this to be a celebration for Salisbury’s diversity.”

Last year saw an online art market boom as overall online art sales hit a record high of 12.4 billion, according to Artfinder CEO Michal Szczesny. 

Mr Szczesny added: “It’s brilliant to see Salisbury crowned as the capital art-buying city of the UK. 

“Our study shows that the whole of the UK is buying original art for their homes and [Artfinder] couldn’t be happier to provide the nation’s art-lovers with unique pieces created by independent artists."

Artfinder sells original art from 6,000 artists in 96 countries.

Find out the whole Artfinders study here. 

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