Without purchasing a painting directly from an artist and possessing a certificate of authenticity issued by the artist, a bill of sale, or documentation indicating that the artwork was gifted to you by the artist, it is, in my opinion, exceedingly difficult to ascertain with absolute certainty that the painting you acquire is genuine.
When you purchase an artwork that comes with a Certificate of Authenticity:
1- Ensure that this certificate is updated when purchasing or reselling the painting.
An expert's view on an artwork may be subject to change. I witnessed a Parisian connoisseur of Eugene Boudin's art revising his assessment of a picture that he had previously verified as genuine three decades ago and included in his comprehensive inventory.
The certificate you possess was created by Mr. X. However, Mr. X has since passed away and has been succeeded by Mr. Y. It is uncertain if Mr. Y will renew the certificate of authenticity.
Ensure that the painting possesses the requisite certification.
For instance, let's consider a picture created by the renowned artist Amedeo Modigliani. To establish the authenticity of a painting, it is necessary to get a certificate of authenticity issued by Ceroni. Mr. Ceroni has only recognized 337 artworks as genuine. The issue at hand is that our esteemed specialist has passed away.
You possess additional highly significant authorities on Modigliani's oeuvre, such as Parisot, Restellini, and others.
For instance, if you own a picture accompanied by the Certificate of Authenticity (COA) from Christian Parisot, a charismatic individual and esteemed historian, it may be challenging to sell due to his involvement in the production of counterfeit Modigliani artworks, among other allegations.Please refer to the links provided below.
Restellini, the former secretary of Christian Parisot, has discontinued the preparation of the catalogue raisonné that he had begun due to receiving death threats. This unfortunate incident sheds light on the evil side of the fine art world. http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/art/news/modigliani-expert-accused-of-being-arts-biggest-fraud-8463883.html The link provided leads to an article on the website of The Independent, a news publication. The article discusses an accusation made against a supposed expert on the artist Mod
The provided link leads to an article on the New York Times website from February 3, 2014, which discusses the authenticity of a Modigliani painting
2- Is a certificate of authenticity issued by a gallery completely reliable?
If the certificate is issued by a very reputable gallery, it will be accompanied with an authenticity certificate signed by the known artist alone. Frequently, these galleries would showcase the artist's work from previous periods. While those galleries are generally trustworthy, I will always request the original certificate due to the emergence of several recent scandals. One notable example is the Knoedler Gallery in New York, which has faced legal action regarding forgery: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/12/arts/design/lawsuits-in-knoedler-forgery-case-are-set-for-trial.html
If the certificate is issued by a gallery that is not ranked among the top 25 galleries worldwide, it might be deemed entirely worthless.
It is imperative that you consistently seek the updated certificate from the officially authorized authenticator and make your purchase conditional upon receiving this certificate. This will prevent the deal from being canceled.
© Gerard Van Weyenbergh