By Moshe Frank
Being in the art business, I hear this question often.
What is the value of a painting?
Even with the internet, art prices arent set in stone.
There are many factors.
1.) Who is the artist? A scribble from Picasso is worth a lot.
A masterpiece oil painting from your cousin, can end up in the salvation army thrift store. (A Picasso can too, but unlikely)
2.) Comps, see what the artist sold on auction recently for a similar painting.
Liveauctioneers.com is a great resource.
3.) Oil/Acrylic, pastel, watercolor and drawing. That’s the general order of highest value.
4.) Google is your friend, if you search the artist and there’s zero results, it’s a very good indicator of its value.
(Unless, you can’t read the artist signature and can’t figure out the name)
5.) Appraisals can be deceiving. They want you to feel good about their fees and not stupid for overpaying on a painting.
6.) Respected gallery or dealer selling the artist.
Random shows or pop up galleries, are just that.
A gallery will usually help you sell a painting you purchased from them, if you need cash.
7.) If the artist has a strong social media presence and activity.
It reflects demand in the artists work and personality.
This is a list of a few rules that can help you price a painting.
