If your painting is signed, you have an advantage in determining worth.
A painting's value often goes far beyond the monetary. The painting your child made on the first day of school, for example, is invaluable even if nobody would buy it. Similarly, you may have a unique piece by an unknown artist that fits your quirky style perfectly but would have little monetary value to others. On the other hand, some pieces are quite valuable. Jackson Pollock's "No. 5," for example, sold for $140 million. Chances are good that the piece you are wondering about falls somewhere in between. Whether you wish to sell or simply insure your painting, find out its approximate value to figure out proceed.
Instructions
1. Examine your painting carefully. If it is signed, make a note of the name. Check the back of the piece as well. You may find additional information here. For example, the front of the painting may be signed "J. Doe" but the back might say "John Doe, 1947." This information helps you determine that it was not painted by Jack Doe or by a John Doe born in 1952, for example.
2. Visit a site that offers sales history for various artists. Examples include AskArt, ArtFact and ArtNet.com. These sites, which typically require a subscription, provide auction history for many well-known artists.
3. Search the site you selected for the artist in question. Keep in mind that you may have to try several variations of his name, especially if the piece is not signed clearly. For example, a signature that initially looks like "Williams" with a flourish on the end may be an untidy "Williamson" or "Williamsen." Don't make assumptions about the name; your mind may automatically read "Williams" even if the signature is something more unusual like "Williems" or "Wiliams."
4. Use other clues to figure out which artists painted your painting if you found more than one with the same name. As mentioned in the "John Doe" example, knowing -- or guessing -- the year the painting was done can help rule out other artists. Similarly, if your painting is in a distinctively Californian style, you can probably rule out artists who spent their whole lives in Europe, for example.
5. View past auction results for your artist once you have found him on the site of your choice. Try to find a painting by the same artist that is similar to yours in subject and size, and that was sold relatively recently. For example, if you have a small seascape painting, do not base its value on a large portrait by the same artist. If your painting is in good condition, chances are its value is close to that of the similar painting you found.
6. Take the painting to an expert for appraisal if all else fails. Many auction houses have free appraisal clinics, where you may bring in a limited number of pieces for a verbal appraisal. This can save you the fee required by the auction history websites and the appraiser may be able to provide you with additional information. This can also be useful if your piece is unsigned or is not by a listed artist. For example, if you have a particularly striking painting in a specific style, it may be worth hundreds or thousands of dollars even if it is unsigned.
