Why sell fine art online?

This quote describes from the ArtBank does a good job of describing why many artists have turned to the Internet to sell their art:

Over the past few years the practise of selling art online has become increasingly popular as sellers have found the online marketplace as competitive and profitable as the traditional bricks and mortar one. Of course, the primary reason why it is so much cheaper selling fine art online is that in the virtual world your picture doesn’t take up any physical space hanging in a gallery, so a part of its sale price doesn’t go towards subsidising the rent or paying the gallery staff. And galleries are naturally restricted to traditional opening hours and dependant upon reputation, word of mouth, customer loyalty, marketing campaigns and the passer-by on the street, whereas your online presence reaches a global audience twenty four hours a day every day of the week, including weekends and bank holidays! So you not only save money by cutting out the middle man, but you can also reach a global audience of art collectors and enthusiasts.

While the practice is gaining popularity I wonder if it has helped artists become more independant and less reliant on "brick and mortar" galleries.

Would you spend $500, $2500, $10,000 on fine art on the Web if you didn't know the artist and trust they would deliver good quality work? Leave a comment and let me know.