PositiveNaija Q&A Forum is a question-and-answer platform focused on constructive discussions on the development of Nigeria and Nigerians.
Please freely express yourself and we only ask that you keep your posts polite, factual, relevant as well as well-framed. In extreme circumstances, we may remove posts that violate this prescription.
Detecting Fake Art Works
How can fake art works be detected?
How can fake art works be detected?
Publish/advertise your content on our blog website permanently and have it on Google for only 10,000 Naira. +2349064503292
Quote from
ArtistCliff on September 22, 2021, 1:23:59 AM
Artworks attract those whose senses appeal to it. It's like what beauty does to the beholder. Artworks come in different forms and varieties. It can be the visible or the non- visible. Let's take the visible arts as a case study. Visible arts which is also called the visual arts, are those arts that we can see with our eyes, touch, feel them physically, and can go round them. Such arts include Drawings, Paintings, sculptures, ceramics, textiles, furnitures, etc. Now let's look at one of those arts which is Painting and see how one can detect the fake. But before that, did you know that a beautiful painting you cherished so much, spent a fortune to purchase, might turn out to be fake than original? So true!
There had been cases where some works of some famous artists have experienced forgery and plagiarism by the street desperates and have found their way in hands of art enthusiasts, collectors or buyers as original.
If one is interested in buying a painting, I sincerely suggest you observe the Art-Piece very well. One needed to check very well to be sure to avoid regrets..
Please look out for the following: first is the name of the artist. Whether a popular or upcoming artist, every artist has a signature of which they sign or stamp their works. Some may not sign at the same particular point on each of their paintings. But a closer look will tell how original the work claims to be. In this case, try check to see some other works by the artist. If you are buying from a gallery, or a collector, request to see more works of the artist. If possible compare the style, techniques, some layers and brush strokes in each of the work, since most artists have a method of applying colours on their canvases. You can go with an expert in these areas in case if you are finding it difficult.
Secondly, raising a painting against a light will help differentiate quickly between a print and an original painting. Original paintings allows infiltration of thin lights through the back of the canvas when raised against the light. You can easily see the layers of the artists medium in most cases. That is also is one of the ways to check the originality.
Thirdly, don't be too much in a hurry. Remember you are investing in it. It's a valuable commodity. Check to know if the artwork is copied even though it has an original materials used in the production. If you know any famous artist with a related style, you can google to be sure it's not one of the artists work is plagerised. This also can be detected by a connoisseur or an expert whom you may choose to help you check.
The evidence of the year of production is very important. Whether recent or years past. If the year of production is stated on the painting, for an example "2012", one should look out to the whole to be fully convinced that it reflects the age of the artwork. You can use a magnifying glass to see for yourself. An old painting should reflect its age. It shouldn't smell so new except in the case of where vanish is used on it recently. Perhaps, if it's an old painting, the back of the canvas and the wood will convince you that truly it's an aged work and it's worth paying for.
When buying from a collector, check the receipt from the artist (if any), this will also help in certifying that it's not fake.
The above explanation is limited to Painting but can equally apply to Drawings, etchings and monotypes as case may be. The truth is that there can be fake or forgery in all manner of arts but with the help of an expert, a good connoisseur, art enthusiast and so on, who really knows the secrets to some of these art productions and marketing, one can really detect a fake art from the original.
Artworks attract those whose senses appeal to it. It's like what beauty does to the beholder. Artworks come in different forms and varieties. It can be the visible or the non- visible. Let's take the visible arts as a case study. Visible arts which is also called the visual arts, are those arts that we can see with our eyes, touch, feel them physically, and can go round them. Such arts include Drawings, Paintings, sculptures, ceramics, textiles, furnitures, etc. Now let's look at one of those arts which is Painting and see how one can detect the fake. But before that, did you know that a beautiful painting you cherished so much, spent a fortune to purchase, might turn out to be fake than original? So true!
There had been cases where some works of some famous artists have experienced forgery and plagiarism by the street desperates and have found their way in hands of art enthusiasts, collectors or buyers as original.
If one is interested in buying a painting, I sincerely suggest you observe the Art-Piece very well. One needed to check very well to be sure to avoid regrets..
Please look out for the following: first is the name of the artist. Whether a popular or upcoming artist, every artist has a signature of which they sign or stamp their works. Some may not sign at the same particular point on each of their paintings. But a closer look will tell how original the work claims to be. In this case, try check to see some other works by the artist. If you are buying from a gallery, or a collector, request to see more works of the artist. If possible compare the style, techniques, some layers and brush strokes in each of the work, since most artists have a method of applying colours on their canvases. You can go with an expert in these areas in case if you are finding it difficult.
Secondly, raising a painting against a light will help differentiate quickly between a print and an original painting. Original paintings allows infiltration of thin lights through the back of the canvas when raised against the light. You can easily see the layers of the artists medium in most cases. That is also is one of the ways to check the originality.
Thirdly, don't be too much in a hurry. Remember you are investing in it. It's a valuable commodity. Check to know if the artwork is copied even though it has an original materials used in the production. If you know any famous artist with a related style, you can google to be sure it's not one of the artists work is plagerised. This also can be detected by a connoisseur or an expert whom you may choose to help you check.
The evidence of the year of production is very important. Whether recent or years past. If the year of production is stated on the painting, for an example "2012", one should look out to the whole to be fully convinced that it reflects the age of the artwork. You can use a magnifying glass to see for yourself. An old painting should reflect its age. It shouldn't smell so new except in the case of where vanish is used on it recently. Perhaps, if it's an old painting, the back of the canvas and the wood will convince you that truly it's an aged work and it's worth paying for.
When buying from a collector, check the receipt from the artist (if any), this will also help in certifying that it's not fake.
The above explanation is limited to Painting but can equally apply to Drawings, etchings and monotypes as case may be. The truth is that there can be fake or forgery in all manner of arts but with the help of an expert, a good connoisseur, art enthusiast and so on, who really knows the secrets to some of these art productions and marketing, one can really detect a fake art from the original.
Thank you Cliff.
Public notice: please send in your comments, questions or observations you might have in this regard. Thank you.
Thank you Cliff.
Public notice: please send in your comments, questions or observations you might have in this regard. Thank you.
Publish/advertise your content on our blog website permanently and have it on Google for only 10,000 Naira. +2349064503292
Quote from
fegoonowori on September 27, 2021, 12:09:56 PM
Great write up. It's worth reading. Thanks for the information ArtistCliff.
Great write up. It's worth reading. Thanks for the information ArtistCliff.
Thank you Fego. Glad you find it relevant.
Thank you Fego. Glad you find it relevant.
Publish/advertise your content on our blog website permanently and have it on Google for only 10,000 Naira. +2349064503292
