Authentication

Authenticating Russian Art, especially the Avant Garde (1905-1932), is an area fraught with difficulties.

STATEMENT

It is no exaggeration to say that the majority of paintings offered to me are not by the artists claimed – this is a figure as high as 90-95%.

I have written and lectured copiously on the topic. Some of my lectures and comments can be found in the “News” section of this site. I represent the market and always base any assessment on the premise whether the work will be accepted for purchase or re-sale by:

  • either of the two main auction houses
  • a leading museum
  • or a leading, reputable art dealer

Expertise, chemical analysis and other documents, which frequently come attached to such paintings are, more often than not, irrelevant to my assessment.

James Butterwick

My opinion is given completely objectively and is based on whether or not the artwork is acceptable to the market leaders, top dealers and museums. If you would like to receive my opinion on an artwork, please upload images and details of the work. This is a paid service, we will send you a quote once you contact us.

  • Drop files here or
    Max. file size: 256 MB.