What’s It Worth Fact:
What is the most expensive painting ever sold? The Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci crushed all previous sales records in 2017. The rediscovered “Salvador Mundi” sold for $450 million at Christie’s NYC.
Painting appraisals are one of the largest categories for What’s It Worth. When people hear the term art appraisal, they usually assume we are working with a framed oil painting on canvas support. While oil paintings certainly encompass a large portion of our paintings appraisals, paintings can also be defined as any representation or abstract piece on support, such as paper or canvas, rendered in oil, acrylic, and watercolor, to name a few. In addition, this category can include collages – which are works of art created with a variety of mixed-media that could range from wire or acrylic to fabrics and even household items. Robert Rauschenberg (American, 1925-2008), was revolutionary in this technique, combining traditional materials with found objects. The paintings category covers a large span of time that encompasses many periods in the history of art. Our team experts are equipped to deal with anything from Impressionist Oil to a Contemporary Collage!
Tips on submitting paintings appraisals:
- Is there a signature? If so, be sure to send a clear, detailed image!
- Always send an image of the reverse of the painting – the back can often reveal more than the front!
- Tell us the story! History of ownership / details on acquisition can be key in identifying a painting’s value.
Meet our appraisers:
Click here to meet our paintings specialists Carrie, Rachel and Noel!
