Art appraisals/valuations?

Let’s make this the master thread for everything related to appraisals—antiques, paintings, photos, you name it. I’m hoping you all can provide the answers people are looking for here.🙂

Christian Sanchez44

Since I don't know the first thing about this kind of stuff, I'm asking for some help.

I decided to buy a print from Lackovic as a wedding gift for a friend, so now I'm trying to wrap my head around all these different markings you find on artwork.

Specifically, this piece has an "EA" mark—which people told me refers to the edition number—there's a watermark claiming it's authentic, and then there's some purple stamp on the edge.
Is that enough to prove it's the real deal?

On top of that, the artist's signature looks a little weird to me, though I did a quick search online and saw that it seems legitimate.
It looks like it says "Latkovic" instead of "Lackovic."
Is it actually common practice for artists to misspell their own names, or is this just a weird fluke with this specific guy?

So yeah, please help me out and hurry up because the wedding is this Saturday!😁 .

Bought 🙂 .

And yeah, everything I just laid out is more than enough to make the point.

I just really hope my buddy ends up happy with how it turned out.

Cheers 🙂 .

How exactly does EA denote the number in a series? I just don't get it...

How much did that image set you back (if you don't mind me asking).

Paul King26 said:How exactly does EA denote the number in the series? I don't get it...

So how much did that print set you back, if you don't mind me asking?

I just hope you aren't about to become my buddy's future wife 😁 .

That label basically means it’s an authentic piece and isn't just some basic original template.
It could even be a piece where the artist went back in later to touch up the graphics by hand.
Those tend to run a bit higher in price, but nothing crazy.
If I've got any of this wrong, don't kill me, because at the end of the day, I'm just a layman when it comes to art.🙂
The print itself wasn't huge, so including the frame, it cost me about $167 right under my arm, which really means I scored it from a close friend.
That was why I was being skeptical—I honestly wasn't sure if we were talking about a true original here.
But after hitting up a few galleries, I've concluded that the graphic is solid.

Listen.
Hell no. I wouldn't wake up for a gift! 😉

We’re getting married in just a month. Only one month left. It’s actually happening. My head is spinning a bit, honestly. I feel like I should be more organized, maybe have everything perfectly lined up like some Pinterest board, but instead, I’m just sitting here staring at the calendar. It’s surreal. One minute we’re talking about forever, and the next, there’s this looming deadline breathing down my neck. A lot to handle. A lot of moving parts. I'll try to keep it together, but man, the clock is definitely ticking.

So, we recently came across a photo with "EA" stamped on it—and honestly, I’ve been spotting that little mark popping up in other pictures lately too—so I was sitting here wondering what on earth that actually signifies.
Since I’ve never actually gone out and bought anything like this before, I honestly have no clue what the damage is going to be... I'm completely flying blind on the pricing here.

If someone tried to pass off one of these pathetic knockoffs as legitimate wedding gifts, I’d probably just tear the whole damn thing into pieces myself. Honestly, UGH. These cheap imitations are absolutely revolting.

Hey everyone!

I was wondering if anyone could give me some insight on getting art appraised... does anyone know how the process works? Like, who can I actually take these to for a valuation, and what kind of fees am I looking at?

thanks a bunch!

I have two Gobelins, both featuring large, vintage frames. Where and how can I go about getting an appraisal to see what they're actually worth?

Walter James5 said:I have two Gobelins, both featuring large, vintage frames. Where and how can I go about getting an appraisal to see what they're actually worth?

You could totally ask here on the forum, but it would be awesome if you could upload some photos first! That way we can actually see what we're looking at.

I’ve got this painting at my place—it was a gift from my dad's godfather, who came from one of those old-money, high-society families back in the Austro-Canadian era. It’s framed in this fancy gold frame, though you can barely make out the signature... just a depiction of Mary holding the baby Jesus.
My mom isn't even thinking about selling it, but when this historian swung by to check it out, he basically said he couldn't give a solid price because it's worth way too much—he just suggested we take it "somewhere" to get it appraised properly. So, where the hell is "somewhere"??? Or maybe someone here could do me a solid and tell me if I should just snap some photos and post them?

The real question here—and I mean this sincerely—is just how old she actually is, who took the photo, and whether we're looking at a genuine original or something else entirely.

Yeah, and I need to figure out the name—it's basically impossible to read down at the bottom!
Can't tell you the age either, but honestly, looking at her, she’s clearly ancient.

Hannah Alvarez7 said:I’ve got this painting at my place—it was a gift from my dad's godfather, who came from one of those old-money, high-society families back in the Austro-Canadian era. It’s framed in this fancy gold frame, though you can barely make out the signature... just a depiction of Mary holding the baby Jesus.
My mom isn't even thinking about selling it, but when this historian swung by to check it out, he basically said he couldn't give a solid price because it's worth way too much—he just suggested we take it "somewhere" to get it appraised properly. So, where the hell is "somewhere"??? Or maybe someone here could do me a solid and tell me if I should just snap some photos and post them?

Look, take a breath, grab a drink, and rewrite your opening post. I’ve read this three times now and I honestly have no clue what you're trying to say.

1. Who you got it from is completely irrelevant.
2. There are more paintings of Mary and the Infant Jesus than there are veterans in the VA registry.
3. There are as many gold frames as there are people in a mid-sized suburban suburb.

Don't bother photographing it for this forum. Just pack it up and head to the nearest major art gallery. Most curators probably won't know what they're looking at either, but maybe you'll get lucky and actually identify the artist.

Good luck. You're essentially starting your own Da Vinci Code. 👍

You can't just eyeball an image and guess how old it actually is. Just because something looks weathered or vintage doesn't mean it's some century-old relic.
And honestly, the frame only really matters if it’s part of the original set—but even then, you can't just take my word for it or assume it's legit without looking closer.
A lot of times, there are little notes or scribbles on the back of these things that can be absolute gold mines for figuring out what you've got.

If you want a real answer, you should probably take it to an auction house—like Sotheby's or Christie's, they have actual pros who live for this stuff. But hey, keep in mind that professional appraisals aren't free; expertise comes with a price tag. You could also try hitting up some museums, maybe the Getty or the Met, though they might be a bit harder to get a hold of.

Hannah Alvarez7 said:I’ve got this painting at my place—it was a gift from my dad's godfather, who came from one of those old-money, high-society families back in the Austro-Canadian era. It’s framed in this fancy gold frame, though you can barely make out the signature... just a depiction of Mary holding the baby Jesus.
My mom isn't even thinking about selling it, but when this historian swung by to check it out, he basically said he couldn't give a solid price because it's worth way too much—he just suggested we take it "somewhere" to get it appraised properly. So, where the hell is "somewhere"??? Or maybe someone here could do me a solid and tell me if I should just snap some photos and post them?

The Smithsonian, but you should call ahead first.

Douglas Reed7 said:Then go ahead and read the OP's actual post. It looks like it was written by a nervous dyslexic.

And then take a look at mine! Where exactly did I offend him or say anything wrong to trigger that kind of reaction? Look, I went through school for Social Sciences—so believe me when I say I have absolutely zero problem telling someone to get lost if they need it.

Oh, great! Let’s all just spend our time correcting spelling and grammar like we're back in a college seminar, shall we? Let's start a school—or maybe an online course—for trolling and chat management so we can drive away those few people who actually want to talk about art without being world-class experts... 🤣
I'm sure the moderators are totally sane since you never see them around here anyway...

Anyway, sending my best to all the mods out there, wherever they may be! 👋

Back to the topic at hand : why bother getting an appraisal for a picture if you aren't even looking to sell it? And seriously, why not just snap a photo of it so we can actually see what this "priceless" thing is supposed to be? Just because it looks old and has a fancy frame doesn't mean it's worth a fortune.

I'm genuinely curious here—is it actually possible that some painting of Mary and Baby Jesus in a gilded frame could really be worth more than some abstract piece painted by a local art student last year?😲

Jason Chavez32 said:Guys, let’s all just try to act like decent, polite people on this subforum at least, okay? Like, let's be here because we actually care about the topic, not just to hang out and take shots at each other constantly... 🙂

Good grief, this is probably the last corner of this whole site that actually feels like it has some substance left, so let's not go and wreck it, alright? 😉

Please? 🙂

Looking at your post count, it’s pretty obvious you’re a regular around here, but honestly, more posts doesn't always mean better content! Plus, it's clear you're smart enough to realize my post was actually poking fun at you—because, well, it was. So, if you take a second to re-read my slightly messy but ultimately coherent opening post, then yours, and then my response, maybe my sense of irony will finally click for you!

Anyway, getting back to the actual point: Douglas Reed7 and Scott Davis3 gave some solid answers, and I’d just add that it’s usually a good idea to take your piece to a few different galleries for an appraisal.

@Hannah Alvarez7: A few places you might want to check out for appraisals or selling art include places like the Gagosian, Pace, or even checking out some of those big auction houses like Sotheby's... you could also probably find some leads by browsing through Artnet.

Hannah Alvarez7 said:I’ve got this painting at my place—it was a gift from my dad's godfather, who came from one of those old-money, high-society families back in the Austro-Canadian era. It’s framed in this fancy gold frame, though you can barely make out the signature... just a depiction of Mary holding the baby Jesus.
My mom isn't even thinking about selling it, but when this historian swung by to check it out, he basically said he couldn't give a solid price because it's worth way too much—he just suggested we take it "somewhere" to get it appraised properly. So, where the hell is "somewhere"??? Or maybe someone here could do me a solid and tell me if I should just snap some photos and post them?

Doing a little digging into the painting's origins might actually help you out. Someone once mentioned that the provenance doesn't matter, but usually, tracing where it came from is the best way to clear up any questions about who actually painted it.

If I had to guess—just looking at it—it’s likely an artistic reproduction of something from the Kunsthistorisches Museum or the Alte Pinakothek in Munich. Old upper-class homes used to be full of those...

Madonna and Child paintings have always been massive hits—even back during the Austro-Canadian era. Back then, our art students who mostly studied in Munich would make a decent living by painting replicas of those museum pieces to sell. My grandmother actually owns one such painting... when she bought it back in the 50s, she spent her entire paycheck on it—so they aren't exactly worthless, I suppose.

What I wrote there is just based on a hunch—since I haven't actually seen the painting myself, I couldn't say for sure if it would mean anything to me, but I wanted to suggest this as one possibility. You might want to look up images from those old museums online and see how they compare to yours...

Hey everyone, I was wondering if you could help me out with a quick appraisal on this sculpture—it’s bronze and weighs about 11 pounds including the base. Any insight at all would be massively appreciated, thanks in advance! Also, if anyone has tips on where I might actually be able to sell something like this, please let me know. 😍