What is Magnus?

Founded in 2013 and based in New York, Magnus offers everyone interested in art – from newbies to serious art collectors – a way to track, discover, and share their art experience via the Magnus app.

Using both the most advanced technologies and years of tireless data compilation and manual data entry, we created a unique platform, showing not only prices from galleries and auctions, but also exhibition histories of art institutions.

We believe that transparency is good for the art world. Magnus will help it to grow, both by attracting new collectors and by giving existing buyers a tool at their fingertips to enjoy art even more.

What are the services Magnus offers?

  • Take a photo
    We have built Shazam for the art world. Try it out. It’s fun.
  • Know the price. Finally!
    We show you historic and recent prices – from both auctions and galleries.
  • Find the best art spots near you
    Our map shows galleries and museums near you, including current shows and opening hours.
  • Know more
    See galleries’ exhbition history, including current and upcoming shows.
  • Keep track
    Save all the artworks you love in your own digital collection.
  • Share your art
    You can share via Instagram, WhatsApp, Facebook, email, or text message.
  • High quality zoom
    View works in unbelievable detail.
  • View in a room
    View to scale in a rendered gallery atmosphere.

Where does Magnus get its data?

In one word: crowd-sourcing. Our user base supplies us with all our information.

Let’s face it, the art world is messy. There is no one-stop source to find all the information you might want on an artist. If you want to look up an artist’s biography, you can go to the gallery’s website, the artist’s page, a Facebook page, a Wikipedia entry, or one of many other websites that collect biographical data.

If you want information on prices, you need existing art price databases like artnet.com or artprice.com. Here, you can find price data from the auction market, but not from the gallery world.

If you want to know where to go to see art around you, you can use handouts, visit blogs, ask your best friend, or just hope that you are in an area with plenty of galleries. And you will still find it hard to spot the locations that fit your interest.

See the problem? That’s why we built Magnus. It combines it all in one app – at your fingertips. Our users send us data, we process it, and make it available in an easy to use format.

Why do you offer your service for free?

We want to make the art world more accessible. That’s our mission. By giving out our product for free, we believe that we will increase the size of the market. Non-experts, or those that haven’t been active in the market, are now equipped with the tools of an expert. And experts now have the convenience of having everything at their fingertips to enjoy art even more.

How accurate are prices?

Prices for the secondary market are listed on an auction house’s website or in its catalogue. We get prices for the primary market through user submissions. We check every price to see if it makes sense and to prevent users from adding random or false prices. Often we are provided with pricelists. We also rely on simple mechanics of the crowd. If several trusted users enter the same price in the same period of time, we believe them. These safeguards mean that nobody can enter a price that goes straight into the public domain, keeping our information reliable.

*trusted users have a history of correct entries, are regular users of our app and show a variety in edits they make (i.e. not always from the same artist).

How do I report infringement of my copyright?

Copyright provides a set of exclusive rights for the creators of original works of authorship (for example, books, music, art). This often includes the right to reproduce the work, display or perform it publicly, distribute it, create derivative works, and other rights that may vary by country.

If you believe that your copyright is being infringed and you’d like to have content removed, we have made it easy for you. Please visit our copyright page to submit a copyright removal notice to us. You can submit a request quickly by sending an email with the relevant information, or provide notice by any other means specified in the Digital Millennium Copyright Act.

When you submit a request, please make sure that the information provided is true and accurate. Knowingly submitting false infringement notices can result in liability for damages under section 512(f) of the DMCA or similar laws in other countries.

Can I submit a copyright removal request if I don’t own the copyright in the work?

No. Only the owner of a copyright (or an authorized agent acting on their behalf) can submit a copyright removal request.  Before submitting a copyright removal request, you should consider whether you are the copyright owner of that content.

Am I the copyright owner of a work?

Copyrights are generally owned by whoever creates the work of expression, though in some cases, the owner may be someone else if the work was created by an employee or contractor. The original owner can also transfer ownership of the copyright to others.

Note that owning or possessing a physical work doesn’t necessarily mean that you own the copyright in that work.  For example, if you buy a collection of old photographs, that doesn’t necessarily mean you own the copyright in those images (though you may).

Can I edit my biographical data?

Yes. You can contact us to do this directly through the app. Just hit the “Report” button below your name, and you will be able to get in touch with us. Alternatively, you can just email us on info@magnus.net.

Can I add new artworks?

Yes. Just take a picture of your new work. You will then be led to a screen where you can enter details. We will do the rest.

If you have more images (over 30) to be processed, please send them to us via email (info@magnus.net). Please make sure that images are jpg files and that you enclose the full description (dimensions, material, price).

I would like to add new works. How can I do this?

We will soon introduce a feature that allows galleries and auction houses to edit their information. In the meantime please send any inquiries to info@magnus.net.

I don’t want to see my prices online. Can I delete them?

Over the past years, we have received gallery prices from our users around the world. We have a strong base of very active users who submit prices because they believe in our mission. Our job was to verify and enter them into our database. Hence, we refrain from deleting prices. However, once we launch our partner program you will always be able to edit your prices.

My prices aren’t right. Can I change them?

Of course. Next to the price you will find a small icon stating “Add details”. We encourage you to add the new price. After verification, we will update it.

If you happen to spot a price that is completely wrong (as opposed to outdated), please also inform us. As there is a lot of manual work involved, errors can be made. Please send us an email or mark it in the app directly. We implemented the “Report” button just below the picture to give you an easy way to reach out to us.

I’m not listed on your map. Can you please add me?

We try to be as comprehensive as possible, checking our data every day. Of course, we can miss galleries. If you didn’t see your gallery, please send us an email stating the name of the contact person with email address, website, gallery location, general email, and telephone number.

Can I value a particular artwork?

Yes! Our price database allows you to find comparable pieces to get a better overview of the artist’s price level. When you compare prices, take into consideration

  • Year when the work was created
  • Material
  • Size
  • Condition
  • Place of sale, i.e. gallery or auction house

The great thing is, there is usually a difference between prices on the auction market and gallery prices. Since we are the only database in the world that combines the two, you should end up with a solid idea of a general price level. Obviously, this is just an estimate and we can’t make any guarantees.

I found an artwork that I’m interested in. Whom should I contact to purchase it?

If you found something you want to buy, contact the gallery or auction house who listed it. The contact information for both are displayed in our app. You can send an email directly from the system or call them up. We don’t take any commission for this. It’s between you and the gallery.

I would like to find potential buyers for an artwork I own. Whom should I contact?

First check if there is a market for it, i.e. if galleries or auction houses are offering your artist. Then contact the gallery or the auction house where it was traded to check if they are interested. You’ll find their contact information in our app.

Usually they would like to see images of the artwork, condition reports, bills, and other documentations that prove that you are the owner and that the piece is original. So keep them at hand.

I am an artist seeking representation. How can Magnus help me?

We do not represent or show artists. What we can give you is personal advice: find a gallery that fits you, and vice versa. For example, take a look at the artists that are already exhibiting there. If you see parallels to your work, reach out to the gallery or – even better – to the artists who exhibit there. If they like your work, you have a better chance of a response from the gallerist than by sending an email to info@.

Do be aware that not all galleries are looking to represent additional artists.

Are you hiring?

We aren’t actively looking for new hires. The best way to introduce yourself is by using our app. We are super passionate about our product and enjoy seeing this with everyone who would like to work for us.

What do our categories mean?

To save you time, we wanted to use something more illustrative than star ratings. So we handily devised our own categories to highlight not just the quality of the shows and artists in every gallery, but also its overall vibe.

1 superstar: An upscale gallery with world class artists, museum-like flair and gallery assistants that make you feel ” WOW”!
2 established: A trusted and established kind of dealership, sometimes very serious and always very focused on the art.
3 hip: A quirky hot spot the in-the-know crowd loves to hang out at, also popular with art critics.
4 surprise box: Expect anything here: from a crazy performance to a show with only white walls (yes, that exists) or a notice on the doors like: Gone for 17 days.
5 solid: A good mix of established and less known artists, often the owner is present and ready to chat you up on a talk about art, artists and life.

How does the Magnus technology work?

There are three main steps involved from the moment you take a picture until the magic happens.

  1. Let’s say you are in a gallery and like an artwork. Start the app and tap the image button.
  2. A digital fingerprint of the piece is created and sent to us.
  3. Within seconds, Magnus comes up with the name of the artwork and the artist, plus current and historic price, dimensions and material.

How can I connect my account with Instagram?

To connect your Instagram account with Magnus go to > My Art > Settings symbol (top right corner) > Account Settings > Connect with Instagram.  After you have logged in with your Instagram details please make sure that you accept all rights to make full usage of the Instagram integration.

Does every art work match?

The simple answer is no. Sometimes it takes us longer to return a result. But – and this is key to our business – your unmatched photo will be worked on. Our team will review it and get back to you. If you check back in a few minutes (sometimes hours – depending on our team’s workload) you will be able to see all details.  This is how we grow  – it’s crowd-sourced.

Our technology doesn’t recognize the size of the work. So if you take a photo of an artwork that also has a smaller/larger version (which often happens in the case of editions) make sure that you check the size to find the corresponding price.

Is there an Android version?

Yes. Here is the link.