Collecting works of art is an expensive hobby, however some keen eye enthusiasts manage to win valuable works at advantageous prices. Whether you're looking for bargains at a thrift store or evaluating a work at an art exhibition, knowing how to establish the authenticity and value of a piece will help you spot the valuable ones among many imitations. and reprints.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Look for Works of Great Value
Step 1. Look for paintings made by famous artists
Many people go in search of works of art to find some of the artist they love. While in all likelihood you won't be able to find anything by Monet or Vermeer, you may stumble upon a hidden treasure made by a lesser-known or locally renowned artist.
- Among the artists whose works have ended up in thrift shops are Ben Nicholson, Ilya Bolotowsky, Giovanni Battista Torriglia, Alexander Calder and even Pablo Picasso.
- To find out which paintings to look for, find out about the different artists at local art galleries, museums and online databases such as the Web Gallery of Art.
Step 2. Search the paintings on your mobile to see if you find anything of interest
If you come across a work that you think may have a certain value, try searching for it on Google or another search engine: if you find something about it, it means that you have found a valuable piece.
- If you don't know the name of a painting, search for it using some keywords. For example you can find Thomas Gainsborough's painting "Boy in Blue" using the words "painting", "boy" and "blue".
- If you have the opportunity to take a high-quality photo of the work, try uploading it to Google's Reverse Image Search engine at this address: https://reverse.photos. It will make searching easier.
Step 3. Purchase limited editions and signed prints
While most fine art prints have little or no economic value, there are some exceptions. Look for limited edition prints, that is, of which the artist has made only a few copies, and those that have the artist's handwritten signature on the front or back.
Most limited edition prints have an indicative number of the copy you have and how many copies have been made
Step 4. Avoid buying small, conceptual paintings if you intend to resell them
Unless you have come across an original work by a famous artist, avoid very small paintings or indefinable representations to the point of being abstract paintings. While they may be well made, they do not have the same appeal as a large, traditional painting and are therefore more difficult to resell.
This is especially important if you intend to resell a work online, as the smaller and more abstract ones are difficult to bring out with digital photographs
Step 5. Choose paintings with high quality frames
Even if you have determined that a painting is of no value, be sure to examine the frame before unwrapping it. The frames are themselves works of art, so a vintage or well-made one could be worth a lot regardless of the painting inside. Look for frames that feature:
- hand-carved motifs;
- intricate or unique patterns;
- gilded moldings;
- slight signs of wear or aging.
Method 2 of 2: Establishing the Authenticity of a Painting
Step 1. Look for the artist's original signature
Often the easiest way to tell if a painting is authentic or not is to check if there is a painter's signature on the front or back. Specifically, look for a signature made by hand or added with paint; if a painting does not have it, or if it looks flat and artificial, there is a very good chance that it is a reproduction or a fake.
- If you know the artist's name, search for it online and check that the signature matches the one on the painting.
- It's easy to forge a signature, so don't rely on it alone as proof of authenticity.
Step 2. Use a magnifying glass to check for dots
Before buying a painting, look at it with a lens to see if it is made up of small, perfectly round dots arranged in a grid: if you see them, it is a reproduction made with a laser printer.
- While this method can help you identify common prints, be careful as it may not work for high quality giclee reproductions.
- Unlike laser prints, paintings made with the pointillist technique will feature dots of different shapes and sizes.
Step 3. Inspect the oil paintings to see if they have a rough surface
If you are trying to establish the authenticity of an oil painting, check that the surface has swellings or traces of application of the color. If it's significantly rough, there's a good chance it's genuine; if it is completely flat, it means that it is a reproduction.
If it has only one or two rough spots, it could be a fake masquerading as an original
Step 4. Examine the watercolor works to make sure they have a rough surface
To determine if a painting in this technique is authentic, hold it sideways in your hand and carefully observe the brushstrokes. If the paper appears rough around the larger strokes, it may be an original; if it looks evenly smooth to you, it's probably a reproduction.
Step 5. Check that the canvas paintings have uneven edges
Very often the artists who work on the canvas spread uneven or irregular brushstrokes along the edges of the painting, after which they do not bother to retouch them, as the viewer rarely pays attention to them. Therefore, if a canvas painting has perfectly even edges, it could be a factory reproduction.
Step 6. Check the back of the frame for signs of aging
Often the back can give us more information about a painting of the work itself. Look for frames that are dark in color and show clear signs of aging, such as flaking enamel and strokes of worn wood. The older a frame is, the more likely it is that the work inside is authentic.
- If the back of a frame is predominantly black but has some lighter streaks, there is a good chance that the painting is authentic and that it had to be framed again at some point.
- Many antique frames feature an X or H shaped frame on the back, which is less common in modern frames.
Step 7. Check how the work was framed to verify its age
If it's nailed down or you notice nail holes all around the frame, it's probably an original pre 1940 work. If it's stapled, chances are it's a reproduction, especially if it's a antique piece that does not show signs of a previous framing.
