An Ultimate Guide on How to Find the Value of Artwork

How to Find the Value of Artwork

From day to day, we happen to hear questions like “Who on earth would buy it?” or “How and why does that painting cost so much?” Truth be told, the mystery of the artwork value is still incomprehensible for many people. Those who are not into art are prone to complain about this seemingly unfair situation. To make it crystal clear, we would like to give you an ultimate guide on how to find the value of artwork and eventually uncover the mystery of high-value art pieces.

Reasons for expensiveness

Before looking at the major reasons, you should understand that every piece of art has certain peculiarities that make it valuable and unique. Nevertheless, knowing the primary reasons will help you understand why this or that artwork has its own particular price.

 

1. Type

This characteristic is perhaps the most important one because it changes the way of further evaluation. You do not need to delve into exploration to see the difference between painting and drawing, or photograph and fine art print. It is better to start with a different approach to each of them.

2. Artist

If you want to know how to find the value of artwork, the first thing that you should pay attention to is the name of the artist who created it. Supposing there are two similar paintings, one signed by Vincent van Gogh and another by an unknown painter. The first one will be obviously far more valuable.

3. Rarity and originality

No one wants to buy a copy or a fake; everyone wants the original artwork. However, original pieces are usually pretty expensive, while copies are not. Moreover, the more copies are made, the cheaper they become.

4. Historic background

Historical context also makes a difference. It does not imply that older artworks are more appreciated. It means that if someone wants to know how to find the value of artwork, they start analyzing whether the artwork has any interesting provenance, famous owners, artistic or historical importance, or something else that makes it special.

5. Condition

It is needless to say that the overall condition of the artwork also affects the value. Thus, if the piece is damaged or altered in any way, its value decreases significantly.

Now you know how to find the value of artwork, which will hopefully help you understand the cost of some pieces and make the right buying decision in the future.