If you know the name of the artist you can begin your research. There are several websites that list thousands of artists and literally millions of prices fetched at auction, to enable people to research pictures and value. These tend to charge for detailed information.
Sites such as:
- www.artnet.com
- www.artprice.com
- www.fineartinfo.com
- www.artfact.com
are commonly used by the art trade. If the name is not clear you may need to use a professional dealer or auction house to attribute the artwork.
If you suspect that your picture is valuable, take it to a specialist fine art auctioneer, such as Bonham’s, Christie’s or Sotheby’s. Bonham’s has offices in cities around the UK. You can search online for galleries and dealers who specialise in specific artists’ work (if you know the name of your artist), or certain types of artwork, such as dealers in antique maps or Japanese woodblock prints. Galleries who are members of the Fine Art Trade Guild are bound by a code of ethics.
If your item has decorative value, but is unlikely to be worth more than £500, you can take it to your local general furniture auctioneer. They too should give a verbal valuation free of charge, and are likely to hold weekly sales in which the item could be included. Their website should specify their valuation days.
Related Categories
Valuations FAQValuations FAQ
