Why You Need a Fine Art Appraiser You Can Trust

The first painting that Charles Tovar bought was a painting by Joseph Claude Vernet at Sotheby's in Los Angeles. “I was a small child and paid about $1,800 for this painting,” he recalls. Goods bought the piece because he liked it. Although he did not try to make a profit or use it as an investment, anyone would be happy to know that after a professional cleaning it was worth $20,000.

It was then that Tovar became interested in art criticism. It was 1970 at the time, and professional art appraiser certification programs were not yet on the map. Even now that certifications are available, it's not the only answer to whether you're working with a competent appraiser or not. “I realized that people don’t understand what they are doing,” Tovar says, “they don’t know how to read signatures, they don’t speak foreign languages.” A multilingualist with seven languages ​​in his toolbox, Tovar began by studying restoration, which gave him the knowledge and experience he needed to start working on authenticating works.

We spoke with Tovar about what to look for in an appraiser and how best to use appraisers to maintain your art collection:

1. Work with an experienced appraiser

Being an appraiser takes practice. Although a recent fine arts graduate may be familiar with the work of a well-known artist, he is not necessarily familiar with forgeries. It takes practice to know what to look for. The appraiser must be able to distinguish between dirty varnish and dull colors, genuine signatures, the age of the painting and the age of the paint. At the Nicolas Poussin Expo, Tovar bought a painting that he believed was worth about $2.5 million. He sent it to the McCrone Institute in Chicago. Leading experts in the field of microscopy of the Institute discovered Titanium White paint on the canvas, which was invented only after the death of the artist. In other words, it wasn't real. These are the details you need for your appraiser to track down and understand.

“Break it into categories,” Tovar urges. If you're looking for a period specialist or artist, find someone with the right experience. Each appraiser tends to specialize in some area, whether it's 20th century art or a million dollar appraisal. Bottom line: work with someone who is familiar with the type of opinions you need.

2. Let appraisers help you define and maintain your collection

Many appraisers will give a free email consultation. If you're thinking about buying something, you can send them an email full of photos and they'll give you their guess. Work with appraisers when you are thinking of buying something to consult on the item's authenticity and current condition. For example, ask the appraiser to assess the condition in case you want the seller to clean up the work before you decide to buy it. Appraisers can also be a good resource to further define your collection and give you ideas of what you can focus on for your upcoming purchases.

Having an appraiser you trust will help you keep an eye on your collection expertly. Product told us the story of a colleague who was helping a client sell a simple painting that he thought might be worth $20. It was a medium-sized oil painting of a vase full of flowers, signed with the letter V. The appraiser began to think that this painting was painted by one of the greats and called in a 20th-century art expert to have another look. Eventually, the Royal Academy of Arts in The Hague in the Netherlands was contacted to give their opinion on the piece and ask to be sent to Europe. The $20 painting was a Van Gogh.

3. Have a regular report on the evaluation and status of your collection

Commodity suggests an updated assessment of your art collection every five years. You should also have a status report every 7-10 years. A status report is an update on the status of your collection. Just because a painting looks like a night scene doesn't mean it was meant to be. One example of this is Michelangelo's most recent restoration of the Sistine Chapel. After causing controversy, some historians were concerned that the restoration reversed Michelangelo's original palette of matte colors and complex shadows. Although, when the restoration was completed, it became clear that the shadows were still very visible, and the color palette used by the acclaimed artist was actually brighter than originally intended. on the restoration in 1990, saying "Michelangelo's use of vibrant colors in his painting at the Uffizi in Florence, known as the Doni Tondo, no longer seems to be an isolated event."

Cleaning a painting or object also opens the door to a better understanding of its history and confirmation of its creator. This gives a new understanding of the signature and style of work. “This condition will greatly affect the value,” Tovar explains.

Store appraisal documents in your profile. You can store scores for years, documenting a work's score and protecting your origin in the cloud.

The product also offers photos of your work, which can also be saved to your account. “I tell people to turn around and take pictures,” he explains. “Take these photographs and put them away in case they are stolen. Many works of art have been stolen and many of them can be returned.”

Tovar has already dealt with stolen art and seen them returned. “Over the years, I have known dealers who bought paintings and then found out that they were stolen,” he elaborates, “and then returned them back.”

4. Work with appraisers to truly understand the value of your collection.

Depending on the type of assessment you need, opinions will vary. Work with an appraiser who understands your goals and the difference between having to appraise property plans and market value. Learn more about the different types of valuation.

For most, collecting art is not a job. It's a hobby and people do it because it's fun. What starts out as a gut instinct can turn into a goldmine or be worth nothing. “The art business is a fun business,” says Tovar. Collaborating with experts and becoming an expert on your own is your ticket to building a strong and intelligent collection. To do this, you need to have a good eye and know who to work with. Remember the Vernet painting bought by Tovar for $1,800 in 1970? Today, 45 years later, it is worth $200,000. "It's like everything else," he admits, "it's a chase."