Provenance is to artwork as pedigree is to breeding. More specifically, it is the
work's recorded chain of ownership and display, hopefully beginning with the artist.
Provenance usually has a significant impact on the value of any work by establishing
that work's authenticity. Establishing provenance is most commonly a problem with
works offered for resale: buying original works from an artist clearly makes establishing
authenticity much simpler.
Establishing Provenance
The usual ways of establishing provenance are:
•A certificate of authenticity that is signed
by the artist or by a recognised authority
or expert on the artist
•A letter of appraisal from a recognised authority
or an expert on the artist
•Documentation about the art from a recognized
authority or an expert on the artist
•Newspaper clippings or magazine articles where
the work is discussed by the artist,
a recognised authority or an expert on the artist
•Film, video, or audio recordings where the
work is discussed by the artist,
a recognised authority or an expert on the artist
•Books or catalogues showing, listing, or discussing
the work
•Communicating directly with the artist or:
•a member of the artists family
whose relationship with the artist and familiarity with their work is recognised.
•a close friend or colleague
whose relationship with the artist and familiarity with their work is recognised.
•an art business associate
whose relationship with the artist and familiarity with their work is recognised.
•An original sales receipt
•A gallery or exhibition sticker attached to
the art
•A verifiable list of the names of all the previous
owners of the art
Protecting against fraudulent provenance
Because provenance and authenticity add to the recognised value of a work, fake
or fraudulent provenance is a common trap, not just through online auction sites
such as eBay where it is especially prevalent, but also when purchasing through
online and real world galleries.
ArtSales.com.au allows 14 days from delivery not just to see whether the work is
right for you, but to also give you time to have artworks and any accompanying provenance,
professionally appraised.
Thankfully, protecting yourself is relatively simple, and by applying a little common
sense and the following guidelines, you should be able to avoid purchasing works
with fake or dubious provenance.
R U L E N o . 1
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Never accept artwork offered for resale without viewing
and verifying its provenance first.
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•Documents must be viewed personally or by someone
you trust, and should be clearly
original, preferably hand signed or bearing a recognized stamp or seal. Copies of
documents do not constitute valid provenance.
•Lists of previous owners should include full
names and sufficient contact details for
independent verification. Unless previous owners can provide definite proof that
the work is by the artist in question then the list does not constitute valid provenance.
•Lists or catalogue illustrations of previous
galleries and auction houses that have owned
or handled the work should include full names and sufficient contact details for
independent verification. Unless these galleries and auction house can provide definite
proof that the work is by the artist in question then the list or illustration does
not constitute valid provenance.
•Provenance must demonstrate authenticity beyond
reasonable doubt so that:
•The phrase "attributed to" regarding
a particular artist does not constitute valid
provenance, whether the attribution is by a recognized authority or expert on the
artist or not.
•A statement that a work looks similar
to other works by the artist does not
constitute valid provenance unless it is by a recognized authority or an expert
on the artist and documented as such.
•An appraisal does not constitute valid
provenance unless it is by a recognized
authority or an expert on the artist, and states that the work is definitely by
the artist. An appraisal should also include the full name, qualifications and contact
details of the appraiser for independent verification.
•Provenance is specific. Documents that
do not specifically mention the piece of
art in question do not constitute valid provenance. Further to this, in order to
imply provenance, unscrupulous dealers have been known to photograph artists standing
with works which are not theirs. Even if provenance can be shown through other recognised
means, photographic documents of these kinds on their own, do not constitute valid
provenance.
•Under no cicumstances accept works from sellers
who claim provenance but will not
supply it and instead supply reasons such as:
•protecting the privacy of the previous
owners
•frailty or value of the actual documents
•claiming to have overlooked including
it or promising to send it after the sale
and in the case of auctions:
•to prevent bidders from contacting previous
owners
•only showing or giving it to winning
bidders.
Certificate of Authenticity (COA)
Certificates of Authenticity are an area of great abuse, particularly on eBay, and
as you've seen above, are not necessary to establish the authenticity of a work
of art.
If offered, Certificates of Authenticity should include the following:
•The signature of the artist, or the publisher
in the case of limited edition prints, or a
recognized dealer or agent for the artist, or a recognised authority or expert on
the artist. Signatures from resellers or third parties do not constitute valid provenance.
•Specific details about the art including:
•title
•exact dimensions
•date and method of production
•qualifications and full contact information
of the person issuing the certificate.
•In the case of famous artists such as Picasso
or Miro, certificates should also include:
•names of reference books that list the
art
•edition sizes (for limited editions)
•names of previous owners
•names of dealers or galleries that have
sold the art or information about auctions
where the art was sold.
•Limited edition prints by well-known artists
are often documented in books called
catalogues raisonné. If a catalogue raisonné exists for an artist,
the corresponding catalogue number or entry for the work of art in question must
be noted on the certificate of authenticity.
•Certificates of authenticity that do not meet
all of the above requirements
do not constitute valid provenance.
ArtSales.com.au does not issue Certificates of Authenticity
R U L E N o . 2
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Never buy artwork if you have any doubts concerning its
provenance.
(...unless the work is priced so generously that it just doesn't matter,
or you love the work so much that again, to you it doesn't matter.)
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ArtSales.com.au Certificate of Provenance
Artists supplying original works on ArtSales.com.au may issue ArtSales.com.au Certificates
of Provenance, in order to establish a chain of provenance. The certificate is designed
to include the usual required details including:
•the artists signature
• the title of the work
•exact dimensions
•date and methods of production
•number and edition size (for limited editions)
•instructions for including the name and signature
of the current owner
if the work is to be offered for resale.
These certificates are numbered and the details recorded by ArtSales.com.au, so
that they can be used in later years to verify the provenance of works originally
sold through this site.
•PayPal.com is an online payment service that
keeps your account information hidden
from the seller. Whilst ArtSales.com.au will never reveal your details, you can
use PayPal to add an extra layer of security to your purchases if you wish.
•Protect your account password. Stolen passwords
can lead to identity theft or someone
else accessing your account. Below are a few simple steps to help ensure that your
password is protected:
•Create a more secure password by using
a combination of letters and numbers.
•Change your password occasionally.
•Don't share your password with anyone.
•Never enter sensitive personal information
(such as your password or credit card, bank
account, or other personal identifying information) in an e-mail. Criminals can
create official looking emails in order to trick you out of your details. This kind
of information should only be entered into a secure web page where proper encryption
is offered.
•Never enter sensitive personal information
into secure web pages that you access from a
direct link in an email. Criminals can create Websites that look identical to ones
you know in order to trick you out of your details. Always access secure web pages
by entering the full Web address into the browser yourself. Don't let your Web browser
auto-complete the Web address for you. It could mistakenly auto-complete a fraudulent
Web address.
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Keep your anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall software up to date.