Painting value
Most framed pictures in houses are prints, and prints have essentially no resale value. An original is priced by the artist, then by whether the signature and the labels on the back support that.
Sold prices move, so this page does not quote them. Use the completed listings below.
Example estimate
Polaroid SX-70 Land Camera
$190
Usually sells for $120 – $320
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The short version
| Print or paint | A loupe shows a regular dot pattern on a print. Paint has brush texture. Check more than one spot. |
|---|---|
| The artist | A signature with an auction record is the price. An unsigned picture of similar quality sells as decoration. |
| The back | Gallery labels, exhibition stickers and old lot numbers. Often more useful than the signature. |
| The frame | A period frame can be worth more than the canvas. A modern frame adds nothing. |
Check recent sold prices for this category
Check these before you trust a price
- Loupe the surface before you assume it is a painting.
- Photograph the back, including every label, before you throw the backing away.
- Do not clean it. Water and household cleaners lift paint.
What actually moves the price
- Artist
- A recognized artist with an auction record drives most value; unsigned decorative art usually sells modestly.
- Original or print
- Originals are worth far more than prints. Under magnification, prints often show a dot pattern.
- Provenance
- Gallery labels, exhibition history and receipts support authenticity and price.
- Subject, size and condition
- Appealing subjects and good condition sell better; tears, flaking and heavy restoration lower value.
Photos that change the estimate
A painting priced from a pretty front shot is a guess. These are the shots that identify it.
- Photograph the whole piece straight on, without glare.
- Close-up the signature and any date.
- Photograph the back: labels, stamps, stretcher and canvas.
- Type the size, the medium if known, and where it came from.
Most framed pictures are prints
The first question about any picture is whether it is an original work or a reproduction, and the honest answer for most framed pictures in most houses is that it is a print. Offset prints, giclée reproductions and photo-mechanical copies were produced in enormous numbers and have essentially no resale value, however attractive they are and however old the frame looks.
For originals, the artist is nearly everything. A signed work by an artist with an auction record trades against that record; an unsigned or unattributed work of similar quality trades as decoration, at a tiny fraction. This is why so much effort in the trade goes into reading signatures and labels rather than judging the painting itself.
Subject and size then modulate the price in ways that have little to do with artistic merit. Conventional landscapes and still lifes are abundant and sell slowly, while portraits of unknown sitters are famously difficult to sell at any price. Very large works are discounted because few buyers have the wall, and very dark or damaged surfaces are discounted because restoration is expensive.
The frame is worth separating from the picture in your mind, because the market does. A period giltwood frame can be worth more than the canvas inside it, and the trade routinely buys pictures for their frames alone. Conversely a modern frame adds nothing to an original work, and a valuable painting in a cheap frame loses nothing by it.
Loupe, labels and the signature
- Original or print, under magnification
- A loupe settles it in seconds: printed images break into a regular dot pattern, while paint has brush texture and irregular edges. Check in several areas, since some prints are varnished to imitate texture.
- Read the back
- Gallery labels, exhibition stickers, stretcher stamps and old auction lot numbers are often the only provenance that exists, and they are frequently more informative than the signature.
- Signature placement and medium
- A signature that sits on top of the varnish rather than in the paint layer was added later. This is common on decorative works and materially changes what the picture is.
- Condition of the support
- Canvas slackness, craquelure, flaking, punctures and previous relining all matter. Relining is a legitimate conservation measure but it is recorded and it affects price.
Cleaning and throwing away the provenance
These are the mistakes that show up on this kind of item, not generic selling advice.
- Cleaning it yourself
- Household cleaners and even water lift paint and remove original varnish unevenly. This is the fastest way to turn a saleable picture into a conservation problem.
- Discarding the backing paper and labels
- The provenance on the reverse is frequently the most valuable information attached to the work, and once removed it cannot be recovered.
- Assuming an old frame means an old painting
- Pictures are reframed constantly, and prints are often put into antique frames. The frame dates the frame.
- Reading a signature as an attribution
- Signatures are added, copied and misread. An attribution needs a specialist's opinion, not a legible name.
When to bring in a professional
Auction houses give free opinions on pictures and are generally quick to say when something is decorative. Send photographs of the front, the back and the signature; that is what a specialist needs and it costs nothing to ask. Pay for a conservator's opinion before any cleaning or restoration of an original, and get the conservation quote alongside an estimate of the restored value, because for mid-value pictures the work frequently costs more than it adds. Formal authentication is worth pursuing only when the attribution would move the value into a different bracket entirely.
Common questions
How do I tell if my painting is a print?
Look closely with a magnifier. A regular dot pattern suggests a print; raised brushstrokes suggest paint, though textured prints exist.
Can AI identify the artist from a signature?
It can read a legible signature and suggest names, but attribution needs an expert or an auction house.
Where should I sell a valuable painting?
Get it seen by an auction house or specialist dealer. Marketplaces suit decorative art.
Related value guides
Not this kind of item? Estimate anything from a photo, or open a related guide.