Is the Artwork you bought Real or Fake?

The Art Market is a high selling, with pieces selling for extraordinary prices. This prospect of making coins often entices forgers to create fake paintings and artworks. Because it is a common phenomenon to come across when purchasing art, it’s important to understand what art may be real or fake. Although it’s always best to get a professional opinion on the matter at the end of the day and to buy your art from a trusted seller, here are some tips for discerning whether a piece is real or a duplicate.

Research!!

If you have a particular artist or art style in mind- make sure to do your research! Have an idea of the styles of work that the artist did and what their trademark style or mark was. Make sure you see it clearly in the piece that you’re about to invest in. Vet the work online and ensure it isn’t just a copy of a piece that the artist did or a copycat piece using their trademark style. It’s important to see that a forger does not just do the work and is being passed off as created by the artist you wanted to purchase from.

Signature

The artist’s signature is a big tell of the artist’s work; oftentimes, the signature is consistently placed in a particular style on all of their works. Looking at the piece you purchase, find the artist's signature and try to see if it is consistent with their other works. If it is placed or positioned differently, reconsider purchasing this piece. Any deviation from their signature pattern is a major red flag and a big tell of possible forgery.

Look at the painting itself

Excluding the materials used and whether or not they were available during the artist’s time, the actual holder of the work gives a lot away. The canvas, wood, and nails can be a sign of the painting's age and what time it came from. Forgers may have used varnish and tea bags to stimulate the idea of an ‘aged’ painting, and it's important to try to identify which ones are authentic and which are fabricated

?Is it a Print?

An original piece of art would have layers and depth that the naked eye can see. A print would need that perspective. You can tell if it's a print by viewing the work's texture, holding it up to the light, and looking at the work. An original and real work would let the light through the canvas, but a print would not allow any light to pass. Looking carefully at work itself to make sure that you can see the variety of size and texture that authenticates the work is important. If the work if a print, it would not have any inconsistencies, an immediate tell of a dupe.

Authenticity Certificate

The simplest way to tell if a work is real is to look at its Authenticity Certificate. A Certificate of Authenticity is a document that proves that the work is authentic and provides details within the work that only the original one would have. All original artworks would have one, a mandatory document sold with an original work of art. It allows one to identify the origin of the artwork; if the painting you’re looking at does not have one, then you should walk away. This certificate can also be forged, so stay alert in case that happens.