Regardless of whether you obtained the painting in a thrift shop, an art gallery, an online art gallery you are just curious about a painting at work, you can establish how much the piece is worth if you are willing to go the extra mile to find out and invest time in your research. Even after finding out the value, be sure to consult a professional art dealer to be sure of your findings. You could visit estades.com for more information on how to identify the price at which you could purchase painting. Below are five ways to determine the value of an artwork.
1. Identify Signatures or Markings
For starters, examine the painting for any signatures by the original artist. Artists began signing their paintings around the 15th century. While their signatures are most commonly on the front, a few artists adopted signing their work at the back to avoid interfering with the delicate painting. These signatures are mostly symbols, markings, or actual signatures, usually at the bottom of the painting. Signatures assist in determining the painter and the history or time when it was painted. Many online art gallery give you these details for authenticity.
2. Researching the Painting
If you find any distinct signatures, the next step involves researching this information on the internet. To do this, you need to use credible art websites, which list credible artists and their signature samples. You can go ahead and cross-reference the signature samples, or you could visit libraries because they usually have artists' records in their databases for reference. If the artist used their original signatures and are in the database, you will definitely find the actual market value of the painting.
3. Search the Painter’s Auction Records
Searching for painting auction records of the artist will help you place the art in a price range. This information will also give you a broad perspective of the painting’s market potential, and such information can be found from public domains and art reference books.
4. Hire an Art Appraiser
Art appraisal is a formal and widely accepted process of establishing the value of artwork by a professional, called an art appraiser. Paying an art appraiser will require that you pay a fee for the service per hour, but it is vital to set the real value. Appraisal purchase is the surest way to determine the actual value of your painting without having to go through agonizing searches on the internet and in libraries. Appraisal purchase is also the safest way to avoid being sold counterfeit artwork.
5. Look Out for Inventory Numbers
Since the olden days of paintings (19th Century era), many artists market their paintings with inventory numbers. They were mostly stenciled their work using black ink, while others used white chalk. If you come across such markings or labels, you can search these numbers and determine when and where the painting was sold and how much it was sold for. These stencils allow you to find out their provenance and know if the work has been attributed to different artists in the past.
Final Thoughts
Usually, art will gain value with time and if the artist is well known in the art world. Additionally, the value drastically increases with provenance, the price at which it was last bought. So, if you purchase painting from an art gallery at a high price at a legitimate auction center, then the value would be considered at that amount until it is resold for a higher price.