Whether it’s a painting of a dreamy coastline, a lush green forest or even an NHS-inspired rainbow,  Artfinder and Google UK have revealed the top searches over the past year.

Perhaps reflecting the need for a seaside holiday or simply to be close to nature, but searches for artwork containing beaches and trees increased by 94% and 74% respectively on Artfinder during the first lockdown that started in March 2020.

Unsurprisingly, artwork containing rainbows also enjoyed a sharp rise in interest thanks to new connotations with the NHS fight against Covid-19, seeing a 370% rise in searches.

Following the announcement of the most recent lockdown in January, more people were also looking for abstract artworks, suggesting we are now seeking an alternative escape from reality. From intense volcanic landscapes to boldly coloured sunsets over rolling hills, the peak and troughs for particular searches reveal just how significant global events continue to be in the shaping of art trends.

Michal Szczesny, Chief Executive of Artfinder said:

Pablo Picasso once said that ‘art washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life’ and all over the UK, and indeed all over the world, we can see that people have been washing away the dust of stay-home orders by seeking out art that depicts soul-soothing settings such as beaches, forests and oceans.

By the beginning of 2021, we can see that buyers are turning from familiar, often comforting scenes, to artworks that may in some instances feel more intense, more profound, and which are not rooted in those sights that people are missing as a result of still being stuck indoors.

Artfinder is an art marketplace. Their mission is to make art accessible, affordable and a viable career for artists.

Picture: To the beach – Graham Evans – Artfinder.jpg