Guide
Is my painting worth anything?
Most paintings found at home are worth little, but some are worth a lot, and they don't always look it. These nine checks help you tell the difference in a few minutes.
1. Is it a painting at all?
Look at the surface at an angle against the light. Real paint has texture: raised brushstrokes, thicker areas, visible layers. A perfectly flat surface, or texture that doesn't follow the image, points to a print. Under a magnifying glass, a regular pattern of tiny dots means a printed reproduction. Full guide: original or print?
2. Is it signed?
Check all four corners and the back. A signature alone doesn't prove anything (prints are often signed in the plate, and signatures can be added later), but a readable name gives you something to research.
3. Does the artist have an auction record?
Search the name in auction databases and past-sale listings. An artist whose works regularly sell at auction gives a painting a real market; an unknown name usually means the value depends on decorative appeal.
4. What's on the back?
Gallery labels, exhibition stickers, framer's labels, stamps of canvas suppliers, inventory numbers and handwritten notes can date a painting and trace its history. Photograph them before anything gets lost.
5. How old does it look?
Hand-cut wooden stretcher bars with wedges (keys), old nails instead of staples, and darkened, brittle canvas suggest age. Staples, perfectly machine-cut stretchers and bright white canvas suggest a recent work. Age alone doesn't make a painting valuable, but it narrows the search.
6. What condition is it in?
Tears, flaking paint, heavy grime, water damage and clumsy old repairs reduce value. Don't clean or repair it yourself; that can do more harm than the damage.
7. Is there a story behind it?
Old invoices, letters, exhibition catalogues, photos of the painting in a relative's home: provenance documents add both credibility and value.
8. Is it the kind of painting the market wants?
Size, subject and quality matter. Within an artist's work, some periods and motifs sell much better than others.
9. Get a second opinion before you sell
Never sell a painting you haven't identified to the first buyer who offers cash. Get an estimate first. If it points to real value, have it appraised by someone who isn't buying it.
Frequently asked questions
Should I clean an old painting before getting it valued?
No. Cleaning can remove original glazes and varnish and reduce the value. Leave cleaning and restoration to a professional conservator.
Is a signed painting always valuable?
No. Many decorative paintings and prints are signed. What matters is who signed it, whether the work is really by that person, and whether there is a market for their work.
My painting is very old. Is it valuable?
Not necessarily. Plenty of 19th-century paintings by unknown artists sell for modest amounts. Age helps when combined with quality, a known artist or an attractive subject.
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