Online Painting Valuations & Appraisals

Do you need to have a painting appraised or a piece of fine art valued? Perhaps it’s a family heirloom, something you found in your loft or a boot sale bargain? We will provide an online art valuation of any painting and you might even find that an item by an unknown painter is collectable and quite valuable! Not only can you use our online painting appraisal service to find out how much your own treasures are worth; an increasing number of clients use our online valuations to check an item's value before buying a painting at auction or from an art dealer, thus getting an extra expert opinion before deciding on whether to buy.

Our Paintings Experts

We have two dedicated specialists within this field of expertise. Our British Paintings specialist has worked in the auction business for 17 years, joining Sotheby's saleroom in Billingshurst in 1992. After leaving Sotheby's at the end of 2001, he has worked as a freelance valuer and auctioneer. Working part time at Arundel Castle in West Sussex, his passion and fascination for mainly British Paintings, has made him one of the authorities within this field. Our Old Master Paintings expert worked for over the last nine years in a London auction house and throughout his career closely with all three leading London salerooms over the past 12 years. He is predominately specalising in Italian 16/17th centuries but with a passion for all genre and schools of the European old masters. He is responsible for the discovery and reattribution of several important old master paintings during his career, most notably Felice Rizzo Brusasorzi and Baldassarre Franceschini, known as Il Volterrano. At the end of 2010, he left the salesrooms and became a freelance fine art consult and has since been involved in the research and valuing of important old master collections along with advising and helping to build important private collections.

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Determining the value of fine art

The condition, artist and size of a painting will all affect an art valuation and therefore the auction price of the item. The subject matter is also vital in art valuation and means a painting’s value may vary with fashions. It is important to consider this when deciding whether to sell or even when buying a painting. Other factors that affect a painting appraisal include the condition of the work, the provenance of the piece and the quality of the execution. Even the presence or absence of craquelure (a pattern of fine cracks in the paint) can help verifying the painting's authenticity.

Keith Churchouse, director at independent financial advisors Churchouse Financial Planning Limited, recently highlighted the importance of seeking advice for those entering the art market. He claimed that investors are increasingly in the market for alternative assets such as paintings but emphasised the importance of expert advice before making any decisions.

The paintings market at auction

The market trend has remained the same. Latest sales have been very strong for the main auction houses. In times of crisis, people tend to revert back towards the more traditional categories. In early December 2009 and January 2010, Sotheby's and Christie's held their major Old master Paintings sales in london and New York. A self-Portrait by Sir Anthony van Dyck was among the most anticipated lots. Painted in England in 1640, it was described as 'one of the most important Flemish Baroque self portraits and perhaps the finest still remaining in private hands'. It sold for £8,329,250.

The importance of getting an online art valuation

The arts trade market is performing strongly, meaning that the result of your online art valuation might be that your painting is worth even more than you thought. In 2009, auction house Sotheby’s sold a series of British and old master paintings for a total of £19.1 million and throughout the year, old master paintings brought in over £127 million at auction. By getting an art valuation from Value My Stuff, you will receive an independent opinion before buying or selling an item at auction, to a dealer or privately. The online art valuation may also be used for insurance purposes (subject to your insurance company accepting such certificates) or simply to satisfy your own curiosity!

We have two painting experts and the one who deals with old master paintings has over 17 years of experience as a painting appraiser for Sotheby’s. Both of our dedicated art experts have a wealth of knowledge ranging from oil paintings to watercolours. Whether your work is a painting by an old master, an impressionist or a post modernist; whether it’s by a famous artist or an unknown, our online painting appraisers will be able to tell you the value of the work.