International contemporary art platformStep 1. Start with the seller, not the painting
A work is roughly as trustworthy as the person selling it. A gallery with a public track record, a legal entity and a written contract backs authenticity with money and reputation. An anonymous seller on a marketplace backs it, at best, with their word.
Ask directly: who is the artist, where does the work come from, which documents come with the purchase, and what happens if authentication fails. A confident seller answers calmly and specifically; evasiveness at this stage is reason enough to walk away.
Step 2. Inspect the work — in person or via proper photos
A painting is a physical object. An original shows raised brushwork, uneven paint, traces of the hand. A printed reproduction has a uniform surface, and under magnification you can often see the dot pattern of printing.
Examine the back as well: canvas, stretcher, fittings, inscriptions, exhibition labels. The reverse often tells you more than the front — it reveals the age of the materials and the life the work has lived.
- Raised, textured brushwork on the front
- A signature in the medium of the work, not on top of the varnish
- The reverse: canvas age, stamps, labels, inscriptions
- Dimensions and technique matching the description
Step 3. Check the documents
A work should come with a set: a certificate of authenticity, provenance records and a bill of sale with a full description — artist, title, year, medium, dimensions. We break down each document in separate guides.
For living artists, the strongest confirmation is a statement from the artist or their representing gallery — the primary source. For deceased artists, look for an expert opinion from a recognised specialist or inclusion in a catalogue raisonné where one exists.
Step 4. When professional authentication is worth it
For affordable works by living artists bought from the artist or a contracted gallery, separate authentication is usually unnecessary. It becomes essential when the price is high, the artist is gone and the ownership history has gaps.
Professional examination combines connoisseurship (style, handling, comparison with reference works) with technical analysis: ultraviolet light reveals later retouching, infrared shows underdrawing, X-ray exposes lower layers, and pigment analysis tests whether materials match the claimed period.
Step 5. Document everything at the point of sale
Authenticity is not only checked before the deal — it is recorded during it. Keep the contract, the certificate, your correspondence with the seller and photos of the work on arrival. That file becomes the work's provenance and protects its value for insurance, inheritance or resale.
At NEOARCA every work is published by staff after review, its type — original, print or quality copy — is always stated explicitly, and each purchase is accompanied by a curator.
