How much does it cost to get a painting authenticated?

2 years ago

16 minutes

A certificate of authenticity is an official document that proves the authenticity of your work. It is a useful tool to prove the provenance of the work, its quality and reassure the buyer that it was made by you and no one else. Ideally, it should accompany every work of art you create, whether it is sold or not. In the event of a sale, the certificate of authenticity is usually one of the first documents given to the buyer.

Why do I need a certificate of authenticity?

First, providing a physical document to a prospective buyer or collector simplifies the transaction process by assuring the buyer that the work was made by you.
Certificate of authenticity of a work by Fariba Baghi .

Similarly, since we live in a digital world where counterfeiting is unfortunately quite common, this document helps to prevent it. Nowadays, it is very important to avoid all possible risks when selling your work, because you have invested in it your time, your money and your creativity. Certificates of authenticity are a way to avoid risks.

A certificate of authenticity also acts as a sales receipt, guaranteeing a smooth and satisfactory sale of your artwork between you and the buyer. In addition, in case your work becomes more expensive over time, a certificate of authenticity acts as a physical document that tracks the provenance of your work, demonstrating an increase in value.

How to write a certificate of authenticity

Now that you know what an authentication certificate is and what it’s for, it’s time to write one. Below you will find a step-by-step guide with all the information you need to include in your certificate.

Name of the executor. It must be at the head of the document.
The title of the work.
The year it was completed.
Size.
Medium.
Publication number, if applicable.
Special instructions. Be sure to include special instructions on the condition of the work, mounting instructions, etc., if applicable.
Image of the work. Ideally, your certificate of authenticity should include a high-resolution image of the work on the document. This will make it easy for both you and the buyer to present the document.
Statement of Authenticity. This is a brief, two-sentence statement that the work is authentic and that the rights to it belong exclusively to you.

How do I have a painting authenticated?

Authorship is one of the factors that most influence the value of a work of art. Your first objective should be to authenticate the painting, to check if it is an original or a forgery.

If you are interested in selling or insuring the piece, you will probably need a certificate of authenticity and an official appraisal. For this you have to hire the services of a professional appraiser specialized in Fine Arts.

But if what you have is simple curiosity, time and desire to carry out your own investigation, you can start by systematically analyzing the elements and any other information you have about the work and look for consistent coincidences and inconsistencies within the same piece or in the artist’s work as a whole.

Differentiating an original from a reproduction

The good quality of a printed reproduction can confuse more than one, so start by looking closely at the painting, on all sides and from different angles. Start your research by looking for these clues:

Volume-Oil and acrylic paintings have volume and this should be visible in the support, either in the texture of the brushstrokes, less obvious in acrylic paint if the painting has been varnished, or at the edges of the paint on the edges or back.
Support-The base of the painting must be of a material on which the technique shown in the painting can be applied. Watercolors, for example, do not leave a three-dimensional trace on the paper, but they need an absorbent paper. The greater the amount of water used in the washes, the thicker the paper should be.
Weft-With a thread counter or magnifying glass you can see the four-color weft of a printed reproduction, as the image is formed with tiny dots.

How to tell if a signature is a fake

If you have verified that the painting is indeed a real painting and not a reproduction, you can continue by verifying the signature with a comparative analysis.

To compare the signature on your painting with other signatures of the artist (yes, others, plural. It is normal for painters to vary their signature throughout their career) consult a dictionary of artist signatures and monograms in a library or online. Access to the library that has the book you need may cost you some time and the online service a fee.

You should also compare the signature to the rest of the painting – have they both aged the same or does the signature look newer? Take the magnifying glass again and investigate if the deterioration of the painting is homogeneous even in the signature.

How do I find out if a painting is worth anything?

Theoretically, the better the picture, the better it sells.
That should be the first rule. The higher the artistic quality of the painting, the higher the price. However, since not everyone usually has the necessary knowledge to evaluate and appreciate a painting aesthetically, there are a number of factors that influence and in many cases carry more weight than the actual quality of the painting.
The more famous and appreciated the artist is, the higher the price.
Signed paintings sell better than anonymous paintings. The more famous the author, the better. If you have a record of his life, other works, he appears in auctions and there are mentions of his sales, your chances of selling greatly increase. If you also have a painting hanging in a museum, even better. I’ve been convinced many times that gallerists and antique dealers are unable to recognize a good anonymous painting at a glance, but are nevertheless great with names, signatures, quotes and associated prices.
Local artists sell more than non-local artists.
A painting by a good student of Sorolla will always sell better in Valencia than in the Basque Country. The artist will be better known, and there will always be people wanting to buy it because they will identify more with what is depicted. Similarly, a Galician artist, no matter how good and valuable, will always have less appeal in Valencia than in Galicia. It always follows that one should try to sell a painting in the artist’s homeland or where he developed his career. The exception is Madrid, as it is the first market in Spain and it has a lot of power for everything.
If something local and recognizable is painted, it will sell better.
It goes in the same line as the previous one. Every gallerist or antique dealer will tell you that if a painting depicts a view of something very recognizable and symbolic of the city (a square, a building, a monument), it will sell much better than another painting, perhaps of better quality, but with a more important reason. People like to have a view of a street, city or town from their home. Things that are near you and that you see every day.
The nicer the subject, the better the picture sells.
Basic rule of thumb. An attractive rustic landscape sells much better than a dark interior, a factory, or a view of a run-down alley littered with garbage. Although the landscape is painted by an unknown second-rate artist, the other is painted by a great artist. Often, if what is depicted is pleasing, it hides the poor pictorial quality of the painting.
A portrait of a fat, bald, serious man with a mustache and wearing black does not hang on his grandchildren, even if Sorolla signs it. However, if it is a young and beautiful woman or a nude young model, things change. Even within the work of the same artist, prices can vary greatly depending on the subject.
Religious painting is not much appreciated.
No one wants to see saints’ homes with faces of panfils and ecstasy. And certainly not bear scenes of martyrs being skinned alive, blood and various religious refuse in their dining room. It’s okay, it discourages appetite. That’s why religious paintings in general are hard to sell. Exceptions: young and graceful saints (such as Ribera’s daughters), tender scenes from the childhood of Jesus (such as the Holy Family or escapist landscapes in Egypt), episodes that lend themselves to luxury and ostentation (Adoration of the Magi ) or even in gay settings, ephebic half-naked saints (San Sebastian).
Paintings with a documented history sell better.
Pаintings that can be traced back to wills, sales receipts, inventories, old family photos of them, etc., sell easier than those that seem to appear out of nowhere because their authenticity is better verified and they offer more guarantees to the buyer-investor.
Paintings with noteworthy anecdotes are more appealing.
Paintings with an interesting story, with anecdotes about both the artist and their subsequent owners, have more added value because that little history gives them a more appealing and fictional aura.
Size matters.
Theoretically, the larger the painting, the more it should be worth. However, this rule has its exceptions. For example, large paintings are very difficult to sell for the simple reason that houses get smaller, ceilings are lower and there is less wall space. It is very difficult for someone to have a large completely blank wall in their home waiting for our painting.
The better the condition, but at the same time the less restored the painting, the better.
This seems somewhat contradictory, but it is based on the fact that in the past many restorations were excessive and harmful because they altered, repainted or completely patinated paintings, seriously altering their original appearance. For this reason, preference is given to paintings with the least alterations, which are best preserved in their original form.

What does it mean to authenticate art?

Authenticating artwork

This is also known as provenance and provides the assurance that the work you’re about to acquire is genuine and made by the artist or produced by its foundation. For older works by more established artists, provenance can also confirm an artwork’s authenticity through its past ownership.

Does a painting have to be signed to be valuable?

Unsigned paintings can indeed be valuable. Because it is common for an artist’s work of art to gain substantially in value after their death, a signature is not always necessary for the painting to have value. If the work can be authenticated, a painting will be valued primarily based on its artist.

How long does it take to authenticate a painting?

Each painter has his own sole recognized universal authenticator. Some committees, like the “Comite Chagall,” have only two sessions a year where they investigate the submitted files. For this reason, research of authentication will take from 3-4 months up to 6-7 months and sometimes much longer.

How can I get my painting appraised for free?

Please email [email protected] to receive a free estimate of your artwork. Original art only please (oil paintings, watercolors, acrylics, pastel, pencil, sculpture, etc.). We will research your artwork and get back to you via e-mail within a few business days.

Where can I get a painting valued?

Sites such as:

www.artnet.com.
www.artprice.com.
www.fineartinfo.com.
www.artfact.com.

Is there an app to identify a painting?

The app, called Smartify, uses image recognition to identify scanned artworks and provide people with additional information about them.

How can you tell if a painting is an original or a print?

Look along the edges of the painting. If a print has been stuck down onto the canvas, it will be most evident along the edges. The print may be peeling back, or there will be a clear line where it does not extend to the stretcher bars.

How do I get a certificate of authenticity?

To get a certificate of authenticity for your collector’s item, first gather any evidence to prove your item’s origin. For example, look for a receipt, bill of sale, or a document of its previous ownership. If the item has a signature of the artist or designer, this will also help to authenticate it.

How do you authenticate an unsigned painting?

How to Evaluate an Unsigned or Unidentified Painting

Rotate the Painting. The first thing I do is to flip a work of art 180 degrees. …
Try the Index Card Test. …
Look at Placement of Artist Signature. …
Observe the Quality of Brushwork. …
Get a Quick Impression.

What makes an art authentic?

Authenticity of expression derives from the work of art possessing the original and inherent authority of the artist’s intent, that the work is an original product of aesthetic expression.

How do I get a piece of art appraised?

You can also find art appraisers through the appraiser organizations listed above. The organization also provide information related to appraisals on their sites. If you cannot find an art appraiser near you try an online appraisal. This is usually the most affordable way to get an appraisal.

What makes a painting expensive?

An artwork’s provenance, the documented history of who it has belonged to, is a huge determining factor in its value. For example, if a painting was once owned by a celebrity, a prominent collector, or perhaps a respected gallery, it will certainly attract higher offers when put on sale.

Can Google identify paintings?

Did you know that it is possible to identify any well-known drawing, image, or painting on the internet using Google Images? Reverse image search on Google Images makes it possible for you to identify the work in question, the name of the artist, as well as any relevant information in which you might be interested.

How do I get a certificate of authenticity?

How do you authenticate an unsigned painting?

How to Evaluate an Unsigned or Unidentified Painting

Rotate the Painting. The first thing I do is to flip a work of art 180 degrees. …
Try the Index Card Test. …
Look at Placement of Artist Signature. …
Observe the Quality of Brushwork. …
Get a Quick Impression.

What makes an art authentic?

Authenticity of expression derives from the work of art possessing the original and inherent authority of the artist’s intent, that the work is an original product of aesthetic expression.

What is the difference between a print and an original painting?

A Print is usually flat and has a dot matrix pattern, the same pattern you find in magazines or book images. An Original Painting has irregular and uneven paint on the edges of the stretched canvas. A Print usually has sharp, even and clean edges; where the buyer typically does not look.

Do art prints increase in value?

Like all artworks, fine art prints are more valuable when they are hand-signed by the artist. (It doesn’t matter much if the signature is located on the front of the print, the back of the print, or on its accompanying Certificate of Authenticity.)

How can you ensure your artwork is original?

First-time buyers should ensure that an authenticity certificate is issued along with the artwork. The certificate should list details of the art piece such as the title, name of the artist, medium and size, an image of the artwork and be appropriately signed by the gallery representative or the artist.

Is there an app that can identify paintings?

With Smartify, you can discover the world’s greatest artworks and artists for free.

Can I take a picture of art and search it on Google?

Can I take a picture of a painting to identify?

A new app lets people scan a work of art with their smartphone camera to find out more about it and save a digital copy. The app, called Smartify, uses image recognition to identify scanned artworks and provide people with additional information about them. Users can then add the works to their own digital collection.

How much does Smartify cost?

To help bring art to the masses, though, is Smartify, an app that was created to provide more information but now seeks to provide more art, full stop, and for now, it’s free.

How do I identify an artist of a painting?

Check the library’s catalog to find books pertaining to the artist and cross-reference the information about the artist and how it pertains to your work of art. Check auction sales databases such as ArtNet to find images of other works by your artist and compare them with the work you have.

How do I identify an artist’s signature?

Signatures or monograms can be found at the bottom margin of the painting or on the back of the canvas. In the case of a monogram, you can use an artist monogram database to match the monogram to the artist.

What painting artists are worth money?

Ranking the most valuable paintings in private hands

Author	Work	Estimated Value
Caravaggio	The Crowning with Thorns	$150 million
Caravaggio	The Martyrdom of Saint Ursula	$190 million
Pablo Picasso	Nude, Green Leaves, and Bust (Nu au Plateau de Sculpteur)	$175 million
Pablo Picasso	The Mirror (Le Miroir)	$135 million

Where do I get a painting valued?

Sites such as:

www.artnet.com.
www.artprice.com.
www.fineartinfo.com.
www.artfact.com.

What kind of paintings sell the most?

Abstract Paintings

Since most abstract artwork doesn’t have a recognizable subject or relate to anything external, individual viewers can interpret an abstract painting for themselves. So it makes sense that abstract paintings are always top sellers.