Authentication
Common Artwork Authentication Mistakes (and How to Avoid Them)
Most authentication mistakes are not made by forgers; they are made by owners who, understandably, hope their work is important. The same handful of errors appears again and again, and each of them can cost money, time, or the chance of a credible opinion. Knowing them in advance is the best protection.
By Veriso Research Team · Published
Mistake 1: Treating the signature as proof
A signature is the easiest part of an artwork to add, copy, or misread, and the market treats it accordingly. Signatures have been added to unsigned works to increase their value, copied onto imitations, and applied by studios and heirs. A clearly readable famous name, on its own, tells you very little.
What to do instead: treat the signature as one clue among many. Check whether it sits within the paint layer or on top of the varnish, whether it is fluent or hesitant, and whether its form matches signatures on dated works. Then check whether the style, materials, and date of the work support the name.
Mistake 2: Relying on a certificate of authenticity
Certificates of authenticity are only as credible as the person who issued them. Many are issued by sellers, by people with no recognized standing on the artist, or are simply fabricated. For many important artists, the only opinions the market accepts are those of a specific committee, foundation, or catalogue raisonné author.
What to do instead: find out who the recognized authority on the artist is, and check whether the certificate was issued by them. If it was issued by a gallery, check that the gallery exists, dealt in the artist's work, and can confirm the certificate.
Mistake 3: Believing the family story
Family traditions — “Grandfather bought it from the artist”, “It came from a château” — are valuable leads, but stories change as they pass between generations. Names and dates drift, and a story about one object attaches itself to another.
What to do instead: record the story exactly as it was told, with who told it and when, and then look for documents that confirm it: letters, receipts, photographs of the work in a family home, wills, and inventories.
Mistake 4: Cleaning or restoring the work first
It is tempting to clean a dirty painting to see it better, or to repair a tear before showing it to anyone. Household cleaners, solvents, and even water can remove original paint, glazes, and signatures. Amateur retouching can obscure evidence and reduce value, and removing old labels, backing paper, or frames can destroy provenance information.
What to do instead: leave the work as it is, photograph it thoroughly, and let a specialist or conservator see it first. If it needs stabilizing, consult a professional conservator.
Mistake 5: Comparing with the wrong works
Owners often compare their work with the artist's most famous paintings, found through an image search. But artists changed style over their careers, and their best-known works are rarely typical. A resemblance to a masterpiece can also be a sign of a copy or pastiche.
What to do instead: compare with dated works in the same medium, from the same period, and of a similar subject. Museum databases, auction archives, and catalogues raisonnés are the best sources.
Mistake 6: Ignoring the evidence that does not fit
When several clues point towards a hoped-for attribution, it is natural to explain away the ones that do not: a modern canvas, a pigment that is too late, a label from the wrong country. These inconsistencies are often the most important evidence of all.
What to do instead: write down every clue, including the inconvenient ones, and ask what explanation fits all of them. A good attribution report makes contrary evidence visible and adjusts its confidence accordingly.
Mistake 7: Paying the wrong people
Some services charge substantial fees for “authentication” reports that carry no weight with auction houses or the recognized authorities, or promise a result in advance. Others offer to buy the work or to act as agent while also valuing it, a clear conflict of interest.
What to do instead: before paying anyone, ask what their opinion will be used for and whether auction houses accept it for that artist. Prefer independent experts who charge a fixed fee regardless of their conclusion and who do not offer to buy the work.
Mistake 8: Skipping the reproduction check
Surprisingly often, a work sent for authentication turns out to be a print, a print on canvas, or a hand-embellished reproduction. This is easy to rule out at home with a magnifying glass and good light, before any fees are paid.
What to do instead: read our guide to telling an original painting from a print and run through its checklist first.
Mistake 9: Overlooking condition and later changes
A genuine work can be misjudged because of what has happened to it since it left the studio. Heavy overpainting, a later signature added during restoration, a canvas cut down or enlarged, or a composition altered to make it more saleable can all make an authentic work look wrong — or make a copy look more convincing than it is.
What to do instead: look for evidence of intervention. Ultraviolet light, which conservators and many auction specialists use routinely, shows retouching and later varnish as darker patches. Changes in canvas weave at the edges, new tacking margins, or a stretcher that does not match the painting's age can indicate that the format has been altered. Record these findings rather than hiding them, because an honest account of condition makes any attribution more credible.
Mistake 10: Asking the question too early — or too late
Some owners approach the most senior authority on an artist before doing any groundwork, with a single blurry photograph, and receive a polite refusal. Others sell a work cheaply at a general sale without ever asking a specialist, and later discover that it was important.
What to do instead: match the effort to the evidence. A quick, structured first opinion tells you whether the work justifies more research. If it does, prepare a complete dossier before approaching experts; if it does not, you have saved yourself fees and time.
A better process
Good authentication research moves from cheap, quick checks to expensive, slow ones, and at each stage asks whether the evidence justifies going further.
- Confirm the object is an original, not a reproduction
- Document it thoroughly: front, back, signature, labels, damage, dimensions
- Gather every document and record the ownership story
- Build an evidence-led first attribution, with its uncertainties
- Identify the recognized authority for the candidate artist
- Approach them, or a relevant auction specialist, with the evidence organized
- Commission technical analysis only when the potential importance justifies it
Common questions
Frequently asked questions
Who can authenticate a painting?
For well-known artists, usually the recognized authority on that artist: the author of the catalogue raisonné, the artist's foundation, or an authentication committee. For other works, experienced specialists at auction houses and independent scholars give opinions the market respects.
Is a certificate of authenticity enough to sell a work?
Only if it was issued by an authority the market recognizes for that artist. Auction houses will usually verify a certificate's source, and many certificates carry no weight.
Can scientific analysis prove a painting is authentic?
It can prove a painting is not authentic — for example, if it contains a pigment invented after the artist's death — but materials consistent with a period cannot on their own prove who painted it. Science supports, rather than replaces, expert judgment.
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