Start by identifying the technique and support
Oil on canvas, oil on panel, watercolour, gouache, pastel and drawing all have different conservation needs and markets. Without dismantling the work, observe the surface texture, canvas weave, paper grain and reverse. An antique frame may be valuable in its own right, but it should be assessed separately from the work.
Read the signature with caution
Photograph the signature closely, then show it within the composition. A signature may have been added later, be hard to decipher or belong to several possible artists. Attribution requires comparison with the artist’s manner, period, dimensions, support and documented works. Do not clean the signed area: an over-enthusiastic attempt can remove paint or an old inscription.
Examine the reverse and labels
The back can be as informative as the front. Photograph the stretcher, dealer’s stamps, inventory numbers, old exhibition labels, inscriptions and transport marks. For a work on paper, also show the mount and, only if it is safe, the margins. These details can help establish a date, provenance or exhibition history.
Describe condition honestly
Cracking, lifting paint, tears, overpainting, yellowed varnish, damp or distortion affect the appraisal. An old restoration does not automatically remove a painting’s interest, but its extent and quality matter. Take photographs in natural light, straight on and slightly from the side, so that surface relief and damage can be seen. Keep the work dry, away from direct sunlight and temperature changes.
Gather the provenance
An invoice, sale catalogue, old photograph of the work in an interior or family document can strengthen its history. Record what you know even if it is incomplete: the previous owner, place of purchase, approximate date or connection with an inheritance. Provenance should remain verifiable; an oral tradition is useful context but does not replace documentation.
How is market value determined?
An appraisal considers recent sales of comparable works as well as subject, format, period and quality. Two paintings by the same artist can achieve very different prices. A gallery asking price is not always comparable to a net auction result or an immediate purchase offer. The purpose of an initial opinion is to place the work realistically and choose the appropriate route: conservation, further expertise, auction or direct purchase.
Which photographs should you send?
Send a straight overall view, the signature, the complete reverse, all labels, visible faults and the frame. Include the dimensions of the work alone and with its frame, plus the town where it is located. Our guide explains how to take useful photographs for an antique appraisal.
Painting appraisal in Nice and the Alpes-Maritimes
Cimiez Antiquités examines paintings, drawings and works on paper at Village Ségurane in Nice, and can travel for a collection, inheritance or complete group throughout the Alpes-Maritimes and Monaco. You can also explore our Paintings & graphic arts category and our home appraisal service areas.