FAQ
1. When should I consider professional art authentication?
Consider professional evaluation if your artwork displays age, has a significant signature,
resembles a known artist's style, or lacks a clear ownership history. It is highly recommended
before any sale, insurance purchase, or restoration.
2. What indicates a painting might be inauthentic?
Warning signs include a signature that does not match known examples, unexpected materials,
signs of artificial aging, incorrect subject matter, or a style inconsistent with the artist’s
established work. These are clues—only an expert can confirm authenticity.
3. Why does authentication raise a painting's market price?
An authentication certificate provides documented certainty and scholarly backing. Verified
artworks consistently achieve higher prices in auctions and private sales, while unattributed
pieces are valued significantly lower.
4. Can a damaged or previously restored artwork be authenticated?
Yes. Damage and restoration are common in older artworks. Specialists analyze underlying layers,
materials, brushwork, and historical context to reach a conclusion.
5. How do I know if my art is valuable enough to authenticate?
If your piece mirrors a recognized artist’s style, originates from an estate or auction,
carries an old label, or bears a signature, it qualifies. Even unsigned works may be valuable,
and an initial review can help determine potential.
6. What do authentication, verification, and attribution mean?
Authentication: Confirms the artist definitively.
Verification: Confirms specific features such as a signature or label.
Attribution: Suggests a likely artist when certainty is not possible.
These distinctions affect market value and acceptance.
7. Do you evaluate works by modern artists like Warhol, Basquiat, or Haring?
Yes. Modern and contemporary art often faces forgery risks. Evaluation includes stylistic
assessment, provenance research, and technological analysis.
8. Can you authenticate Old Masters from the 16th to 18th centuries?
Yes. Despite age-related complexities, authentication is possible through material analysis,
research, and comparison with documented works.
9. Do you handle authentication for Russian, Eastern European, or Asian artists?
Yes. These works require regional expertise to assess style, technique, provenance, and
historical context.
10. Can you authenticate an artist with a debated catalogue raisonné?
Yes. Many catalogues are outdated. Experts rely on broader research and scientific analysis
beyond existing catalogues.
11. Do you evaluate unsigned works attributed to famous artists?
Yes. Many artists did not sign all their works. Authentication focuses on materials, technique,
style, and provenance.
12. Do you authenticate works by emerging or less-documented contemporary artists?
Yes. Evaluation combines research, a review of the artist’s records, and stylistic comparison.
13. Is a physical inspection always required?
Not always. Initial assessments can be done from high-quality images, but physical inspection
is needed for scientific testing or detailed analysis.
14. How reliable are online-only authentication services?
Reliability depends on the experts involved. True authentication requires trained specialists,
technical analysis, and provenance research.
15. Do you use pigment analysis or infrared technology?
Yes. These tools assist but are not conclusive on their own. They complement provenance and
stylistic evaluation.
16. Which AI tools are beneficial for authentication?
AI assists in comparing images, detecting stylistic patterns, searching databases, and
analyzing structural elements, enhancing research efficiency.
17. Can AI compare my painting to an artist's known works?
Yes. AI analyzes visual elements against large datasets, offering insights that experts later
interpret.
18. How does AI assess brushwork and texture?
By identifying patterns, stroke rhythms, layering, and structural traits typical of certain
artists or periods.
19. What are the dangers of relying only on AI?
AI can misinterpret data and lacks contextual understanding. It cannot replace human expertise
and may lead to errors.
20. Does AI make scientific testing more precise?
AI enhances data interpretation but does not replace physical scientific testing or expert
evaluation.
21. How do human experts and AI collaborate?
AI handles data-intensive tasks; experts interpret the results using academic and forensic
expertise, improving efficiency and reliability.
22. What is the reliability of AI in fine art authentication?
AI can be powerful but prone to errors. Findings are always reviewed and verified by human
specialists before inclusion in reports.
23. How does AI compare to art historians?
AI offers probabilities based on data but cannot replace expert judgment. It supplements reports
with additional insights.
24. Are AI-based authentications accepted by major institutions?
No. Institutions require conclusions supported by expert analysis, not machine-generated output.
25. Can I sell a painting based only on AI authentication?
No. AI provides probability, not confirmation. Human expertise is required for market acceptance.
26. Can AI make mistakes?
Yes. AI may produce inaccurate or misleading information, which experts must review.
27. Does AI replace forensic testing?
No. Scientific methods such as pigment analysis, carbon dating, X-rays, and provenance research
remain essential.
28. What is AI best used for?
AI excels at rapid large-scale research, identifying references and visual comparisons across
the internet.
29. How does AI help authenticate my painting?
By automating research and pattern recognition, AI reduces preparation time and helps deliver
accurate results more efficiently.
30. Does using AI increase the cost?
No. AI reduces overall cost by handling tasks more efficiently and speeding up research.
31. How long does AI-assisted authentication take?
Reports once requiring weeks can often be completed in roughly half the time.
32. Do you use AI to authenticate paintings?
AI is part of our process but cannot independently confirm authenticity.
33. Do you use AI in your work?
Yes. We use AI regularly to improve workflow efficiency.
34. How does AI assist authentication?
It accelerates data processing and handles complex tasks instantly, reducing research time
from weeks to hours.
35. What do you need to begin using AI?
High-resolution images, dimensions, and any background details such as acquisition history and
related documents.
36. Is there a specialist available in my region?
Our network includes experts throughout North America and Europe.
37. Can you recommend a specialist in my area?
Our specialists frequently travel and can arrange in-person examinations.
38. Do I need to consult an expert overseas?
Not necessarily. Our international team includes official experts for many artists.
39. Where should I take a painting for verification?
40. Should I ship my painting to you?
We cannot store artwork, but we can examine your piece in person or via high-quality photos.
Valuable items must be insured before shipping, and insurance usually requires authentication first.
41. What types of artwork do you authenticate?
Paintings, works on paper, sculptures, and bronzes.
42. Do you issue certificates of authenticity?
Yes. We provide certificates for paintings, watercolors, drawings, prints, sculptures, and bronzes.
43. How long does authentication take?
Typically one week to one month, depending on complexity.
44. Can you help with works by unknown artists?
Yes. We specialize in attribution research and may identify the artist.
45. Do you offer appraisals?
Yes. We are USPAP-certified, and our valuations are accepted for insurance, tax, legal, and estate purposes.
46. Are your certificates accepted by auction houses?
Yes. Our reports are internationally respected. While they support sales, final market reception
is beyond our control.
47. Can you help if a painting has no provenance?
Yes. We have specialized in tracing provenance, including complex cases, since 2002.
48. Can I research provenance myself?
It is possible but often inefficient. Professional resources provide more reliable results.
49. Do you offer help with selling artwork?
Yes, we do.
50. My painting isn’t in a catalogue raisonné. What now?
Catalogues are rarely complete. We frequently authenticate newly discovered works.
51. What are your team’s credentials?
Our experts hold advanced art-history degrees from leading institutions and have experience in
academia, appraisal, and curation.
52. Do you provide refunds for your services?
Once we have started work on your service request, refunds are not available.
