How to Research and Value Vintage Art and Prints

Art is the category where authentication and provenance matter most, because the gap between an original and a decorative reproduction is enormous. Before you assume a framed piece is valuable, you need to learn how it was made, who made it, and what its history can prove. Start by carefully examining the work out of its frame when possible.

Read Signatures, Editions, and Marks

Look for a signature, a date, and on prints an edition notation such as a fraction indicating the print number over the edition size. Original prints may also carry a blind stamp from the printer or publisher, while the back can hold gallery labels, exhibition stickers, and inventory numbers that all build provenance.

• Note the signature and whether it is in the plate, in pencil, or printed.
• Record any edition fraction and printer or publisher blind stamps.
• Photograph every label and stamp on the verso for research.

Identify the Printing Method

Under a loupe, an original etching, lithograph, or woodcut looks very different from a photomechanical reproduction. Offset reproductions show a regular dot pattern, while original print methods show continuous tone, plate marks, or visible ink relief. Telling an original print from a poster reproduction is the single most important value question for works on paper.

• Use a loupe to distinguish continuous tone from a printed dot screen.
• Look for a plate mark impressed around an etching or engraving.
• Treat a pencil-signed, numbered impression very differently from a poster.

Build Provenance and Seek Expertise

Provenance, the documented chain of ownership and exhibition, supports authenticity and can dramatically affect value. Assemble receipts, labels, and photographs, and research the artist and the specific work through catalogues and auction archives. For potentially significant pieces, consult a specialist or accredited appraiser before you sell, restore, or insure the work.