How to verify the authenticity of an original painting

Verifying the authenticity of an original painting is less complicated than it sounds when the work comes directly from the artist. The process becomes more involved for older works or works changing hands on the secondary market, but for direct studio purchases the fundamentals are straightforward.

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The documents that matter

A genuine original should come with three things at a minimum. First, a certificate of authenticity signed by the artist. This states what the work is, when it was made, what materials were used, and that it is a genuine original. It should be signed by hand, not printed with a signature, and it could include the artist's contact details so it can be independently verified.

Second, the artist's signature on the work itself. On the front or reverse of the panel or paper, consistent with other examples of their signature where these are available to compare.

Third, a material description: what the work is made from, what support it was painted on (wood panel, canvas, paper, etc), what medium was used (oil, watercolour, gouache, pencils, pastels, etc), what other materials are present (gold leaf + carat, metals, resin, etc). This is practical information that matters for care and for any future verification.

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Cross-referencing the artist's wider practice

Beyond the documentation, it is worth placing what you are acquiring within the artist's recorded practice. An artist with a verifiable website, a consistent body of work documented online, a clear vision that encompasses the work, and direct contact details provides a context against which any specific work can be assessed. If the piece is coherent with the wider practice, that itself a form of authentication.

For a work bought directly from a living artist's studio, those steps are usually sufficient. The chain of documentation begins with the person who made the work and they are directly reachable. That is the most reliable position you can be in.

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When to be more careful

The situations that require closer attention are secondary market purchases, works from unknown or undocumented sources, and any situation where the certificate is absent or the materials record is vague. For those, an independent appraiser with experience in the relevant kind of work is the appropriate next step.

For a first sale direct from the studio, the certificate, the materials record, and the artist's direct contact are sufficient. The only time you need more is when the work has already passed through other hands and the documentation needs to account for that. Information you're looking for is who bought and sold it before, for what prices, where it was sold, etc. Some of the forward-thinking online marketplaces now work directly with the artists and pay them a royalty each time their work gets resold, while also giving the collectors peace of mind that they're buying an authentic original.

David Roman's studio operates as an independent artist, with work available directly from the artist, across a range of formats and price points. Each piece certified and documented by the artist directly. The main theme running through Roman's work is reimagining the human spirit at a critical time when human value is rapidly reduced to data extraction.