A suggestion was made that we consider posting a tutorial to help collectors authenticate artwork. Art appraisal and authentication is a specialized field that requires a lot of study; unfortunately, for a long time this area has not been addressed in a professional manner. But that is changing…noted Haitian artist Marcel Wah has recently founded The Haitian Art Education and Appraisal Society, Inc. This website is dedicated to the cataloging of, and education about Haitian art. We are members of this society and hope that it will help bring stability to the market.
While we can’t offer a true tutorial, I can offer these pointers:
View other works by the same artist to determine if the style, subject and signature are similar to the work you are considering. Keep in mind that over an artist’s professional lifetime all these things may vary.
Subject and style – Some artists often paint many different subjects while others may only paint one subject. If an artist is known for market scenes and you are shown a landscape you need to do your research. It may be a very old painting or a newer style…or it could be a fake. Older paintings, paintings done before an artist found his style are not necessarily valued differently than the ones that he/she is known for…do your research.
Signature – Some artists have signed every painting in the same way on the same spot on the canvas. Others may have signed in different places on the canvas. Even more confusing, some have changed the way they sign over the years; changing from full name to only last name or abbreviating a part of the name. Sometimes they might date a painting, other times not. Again, do your research.
Much has been made about price and how it implies value. This is always true, but it is coupled with another valuable tool…know your source. Yes, a number of Jonathan Demme paintings went at auction for far below their expected market price. This does not imply that these paintings are not authentic. One can know and trust the source of these paintings, Jonathan Demme, a noted artist and collector with an impeccable reputation. The fact of the matter is that attendance was very low at this auction due to lack of publicity and this resulted in some very good bargains! The same cannot be said for auction sites like ebay where the integrity of the seller is not verified by an outside source. The buyer is left to judge for himself, and only has past performance and limited communication to go by. We advise caution.
Really, short of buying from the artists themselves, the best advice and the surest way to avoid costly mistakes is to:
Do your research!
Know your source!
107 Comments
I have an extensive Haitian art collection, largely purchased directly from the artists, having lived there for 5 years. To me, the saddest thing I saw in the Haitian art scene, aside from Haitian artists and galleries producing fakes thereby ruining the market for themselves, is that I was the only blan at Andre Pierre’s funeral. I was considering selling some pieces on EBay until I saw this discussion. How would you recommend I sell authentic Haitian paintings from well-known artists (e.g. Andre Pierre, Tiga, Stevinson Magloire, Antilhomme, Prospere Pierre Louis, etc.) in today’s marketplace when it’s rife with fakes?
I have a question about two paintings signed by L’ouverture Poisson that I recently purchased at a live auction. Both are oil on board, dated 1966, and mounted on traditional Haitian frames of that period. They look “right,” but with one exception – both painted on the “rough” side of the board. Does anyone know if this was normal for Poisson? I also purchased a Petion Savain (i’m confident about that one) at the same auction, which came from the same estate as the Poisson’s.
To the person who wanted to know how best to sell a high-end haitian painting: You could try listing the painting on e-bay, placing a high enough reserve on the painting to protect your piece. Contrary to all the bad press you read about e-bay, I am satisfied that many of the serious dealers and collectors are keeping a close eye on everything that’s listed. Even if the collector doesn’t buy your piece on e-bay, they may try to contact you to make a deal.
You could consign the painting in a major auction house that specializes in Haitian Art. I hear that Slotin’s, near Atlanta, will be having a major Haitian auction in March 2010. You could also contact one of the major galleries, such as Medalia, to see if they will sell it on consignment.
Consigning at an auction house is no guarantee of top dollar pricing – the combined hammer price for the three Haitian lots I bought last week was just over $300 – and this was was a well-known Philadelphia auction house, selling a lot of nice stuff. This may a bad time to sell Haitian art.
Moysian, you’re wrong. I’m a collector and if I see a painting on ebay I stay away from it. Sure it may be legit and a bargain, but it may also be a fake. It’s very hard to tell on the net whether it’s fake or not. If it’s fake, I doubt if I can contact the seller-he’s probably as fake as the painting.
At least when you buy from a legit online gallery you expect the gallery to be around and if there is something wrong you can contact them.
Just came across this blog. Very interesting. I’m interested in a Saincilius painting on ebay, but how do I know its real. Seller says so, but he wouldn’t say its a fake.
God Bless Haiti.
Medalia, thank you for helping our country.
Well…looks like Exil is the one to fake nowadays. Plenty of them on ebay. Also Bresils and Andre Pierres are making a comeback.