YOUR PAINTING MAY BE WORTH $100,000. OR $100. WHO REALLY KNOWS?
The most expensive words in the art world might be: "I'm sure it's authentic."
After 50 years in the international art business, I have learned one thing: Never fall in love with a signature.
I've seen paintings with impressive signatures that were worth practically nothing. I've seen unsigned works that turned out to be valuable discoveries. And I've seen collectors spend fortunes on artworks whose authenticity was never seriously questioned—until they tried to sell them.
Here is something many collectors don't realize:
A signature is not proof of authenticity.
A certificate is not necessarily proof either.
And the fact that an artwork was purchased from a respected gallery or auction house does not automatically make it genuine.
The art world is full of surprises. Some are wonderful. Others can be extremely expensive.
SO HOW DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU REALLY OWN?
Art authentication is not about looking at a photograph and declaring, "Yes, it's genuine."
It can involve studying provenance, materials, technique, historical documentation, previous sales, and sometimes scientific examination.
And even then, a serious expert must know when to say, "I don't know."
That is something I have learned over five decades: The more you know about art, the more you realize how much there is still to learn.
I am always amused when I see someone on Facebook authenticating a Picasso, a Rembrandt, and an African mask—all before lunch!
Personally, I prefer evidence to confidence.
DO YOU OWN A PAINTING, SCULPTURE, OR WORK OF ART WHOSE AUTHENTICITY YOU QUESTION?
Before you sell it, insure it, or pass it on to your children, perhaps it is worth investigating what you actually own.
Visit www.vwart.com/art-authentication to learn more about art authentication and the questions every collector should ask.
Because in the art world, what you believe you own and what you actually own can be two very different things.
Gerard Van Weyenbergh
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