Since ancient times, the artist has been faced with the question: “For what price can he sell his work?” The great Titian, mockingly, or perhaps seriously, answered the buyer: “Lay out my canvas in gold coins, and you will find out how much it is worth.” Something similar was practiced in ancient india. Only then were entire parks acquired in this way. Now prices for works of art are formed differently, but in a very cunning and confusing way. There are old and new scientific techniques that are used auction houses. They even sell them.

What is an art dealer looking at?

Without even looking at the artist’s painting, the intermediary first asks: “Are we selling? Are we buying? This happens not only in Russia, but also abroad. Experience forces the reseller to base himself on the emotional state of the client. It turns out on the sly how much he wants to purchase or sell the painting. Mathematicians were able to express this in scientific formulas, in a purely special coefficient. There are three options when selling:

· an investor from whom you can “withdraw” more money;

· collector. He is not usually rich, except in the banks;

· a designer who is strictly within the allocated budget.

This is how a manager works, based on his interests, as well as the experience and capabilities of the buyer.

Art canvas area

The size of the job can make a difference. It was with this old joke that we began, but to correctly formulate true price solely the area of the canvas will not allow. If it's a huge painting, let's say G.I. Semiradsky or I.K. Aivazovsky, then, based on the size, you can greatly reduce the price, “make a gift,” so to speak, to the buyer.

It is most convenient when the length of the side of the work is no more than a meter. This is, so to speak, a “golden” format, and it does not matter whether it is long or wide. If the artist’s relatives are present in the painting, this also increases its price.

With miniatures the situation is even more complicated. It would seem that they should be inexpensive. And, nevertheless, at the Christie᾿s auction in 2011, the work “On the Beach” by Ivan Pokhitonov with an area of only 616 square meters. cm (A4 sheet format) went after auction at a price of more than 600 thousand dollars!

In 2005, the “Determinant of the Cost of Painting” was published. The author of this reference book, V. Solovyov, definitely tried. He analyzed the auction value of 47 thousand paintings by artists from around the world. But based on his calculations, the price of the painting usually does not correspond to the market price.

Cost mechanism

A certain Mikhail Tamoykin considered it correct to calculate the cost of a work of art based on how much money was invested in paints, canvases, brushes and everything else that a painter or sculptor needs. However, he also took into account the popularity of the master, but not everyone. Malevich and Picasso, for example, are not artists for him. M. Tamoykin took as a basis applied arts. But in practice its provisions are refuted. In Moscow, at an auction, a fifty-kopeck piece made of copper from 1925 cost about a million rubles, a silver one - only one thousand. What's the matter? The copper specimen is very rare.

Repeat sales

For more than three hundred years, art auctions have been held around the world. Many paintings by artists have already been there more than once. This allows you to track how their value increases and allows you to assume that it will continue to grow.

This is the basis of the May-Moses technique, which Sothebys acquired for its exclusive use. These two New York professors analyzed the art market starting in 1875. Their index practically coincided with the rise in stock market prices and showed the stability of demand for works visual arts. Therefore, now all analysts are convincing buyers to invest money not in stocks, but in paintings by artists.

Investment specialist Sergei Skaterschikov also uses repeat sales indicators. His calculations allow you to find out the average annual profitability. We will not give its formulas, but we will emphasize that the longer the investment, the higher, as a rule, the profit.

Some large companies, for example, the French Artprice, the American Artnet, collect data from auction sales and publish catalogs, based on which you can see price dynamics. But Russian artists they are not included in it, since our auctions do not provide publicly available data.

In Russia, ARTinvestment is dealing with the same issue. This website accumulates prices in Russian and Western artists. The basic point is a fragment of a painting by a specific artist, which allows you to trace the rise or fall in the value of the canvas. Unfortunately, prices do not change objectively, but depending on the place of purchase and sale, the economic situation in the country, the opinions of interested people and other random factors.

Who makes the “weather” in the market?

A lot is determined by the judgments and assumptions of authoritative people, with whose point of view and position many simply agree. They are surveyed by ArtTactic and Artprice companies and draw certain conclusions. This influences the opinion of experts and everyone involved in the art market - buyers, sellers, gallery owners, amateur collectors, critics, auctioneers. Before the Russian auction in London and Russian company ARTinvestment appears an indicator of investment risk, which is determined by experts.

How is an artist's popularity determined?

On modern Russian market Ksenia Podoynitsyna developed a 17-point methodology for interviewing experts. Its indicators should reveal the significance of our contemporary artists, and, consequently, their prestige, which will affect the cost of the work. This is influenced by already established price indicators, as well as participation in exhibitions, publications in the media, and the acquisition of works by collectors. All this is shaped by the artists themselves, gallerists, curators and collectors.

Dry output

In the West they love science. They work according to it. So far we have everything approximately. What matters more is not the artistic value and talent, but the number of exhibitions, sales value and subject matter. They don’t like genre works. They prefer landscapes, still lifes, nudes, children's and female portraits and look closely according to the principle “measure seven times - cut once.” Nobody takes into account that often the price of a work is an assessment of the artist’s life.

In principle, in Russia there is still no established art market, and the cost of paintings by artists is often taken simply “out of the blue,” as God pleases.

Tatiana Piksanova

Buying paintings is serious business, especially if we're talking about about the works of famous masters. Masterpieces of painting and other genres are of interest as representatives famous museums, and private collectors. Everyone knows that some lucky people have managed to find a famous artist in their attic for fabulous money, but before you decide to take down a watercolor that belonged to your great-grandmother from the wall, you need to find out about some rules and conditions, as well as the current demand for certain paintings .

What interests art collectors?

If you contact us specifically, the company “College of Antique Experts and Appraisers”, we will be happy to evaluate and buy paintings by Russians and Russians, as well as works Soviet artists, dating back to 1990 inclusive. Yes, everything “Soviet” is back in fashion, but that doesn’t mean we ignore modern works, worthy of attention in the world and. We are also very interested in the works of famous contemporary artists, made in any artistic technique. Some of our collector clients pay close attention to graphic works, so they specialize exclusively in purchasing graphics. For the “College of Antique Experts and Appraisers” it is not difficult to sell graphics of decent execution at a good price and, in most cases, pay you the full cost of the painting immediately on the day you contact us. If paintings are assessed for compliance with the declared authorship famous artist may require more lengthy checks and expert analysis with the participation of both our specialists and specialists from leading art historical institutes and centers around the world. We are also interested in sketches and sketches for famous films and animated films, because Such works can be of great value to thematic collectors and are valued quite highly. With our help, you can also quickly and profitably sell an engraving by an ancient or modern master at a very high price. In general, if you have a painting that is of artistic value, but you don’t need it at all, or simply don’t like it, we will be happy to find a new owner for it.

What determines the price of a painting?

There are so many nuances in this issue that diving into them headlong without a professional assessment is simply pointless. Nevertheless, general criteria yet there are, and they are relevant for almost any type of fine art:

- - What matters is the dating of the painting, that is, actually, when it was painted. However, it is worth remembering that some are more expensive than paintings from the 13th - 19th centuries.
  - The condition of the painting also affects the cost, as a lengthy and expensive restoration may be required.
  - The authorship of a work sometimes plays a decisive role in the assessment and subsequent sale, since even for a modest watercolor famous master collectors are ready to shell out the amount for which you can buy a small private museum contemporary art.
  - The presence of the author's signature, stamp or other mark. If a signature is a definite plus, then the presence of a stamp may raise some questions among experts, for example, why do you have this painting if on the reverse side there is a modest stamp with the inscription “Louvre”?
  - Presence/absence of frame. This is not particularly important if we are talking about a truly valuable specimen, but it also happens that experts value the frame much more expensive than the masterpiece contained in it. It all depends on the material and age of the product.
  - If you have in your hands the conclusion of a qualified art expert examination, then this is a definite plus that will give you confidence - but nothing more. All the same, it is necessary to evaluate the painting, and if we are talking about a masterpiece, then a collector who is ready to buy the painting will demand a second examination early on. But you don’t have to worry, buying paintings with our direct participation will not take up your precious time and money, and the process of buying a painting most often takes place exactly on the day you contact us.

What are we buying?

- - Purchase of paintings (pre-1917, USSR, contemporary artists)
  - Buying paintings by famous artists
  - Purchasing graphics
  - Purchase of paintings and graphic portraits
  - Purchase of still lifes
  - Buying landscapes
  - Buying old drawings
  - Buying antique watercolors
  - Buying engravings (antique and modern)
  - Buying lithographs
  - Buying sketches famous paintings and artists
  - Purchase of antique engravings

The antique store offers its services for a free appraisal of an antique painting. If you want to sell a painting in Moscow, put it up for sale, there is a commission department for you in which paintings from the 19th to mid-20th centuries are purchased. Canvases available for purchase famous artists and painters little known to a wide audience.

You can find out how much we are willing to value your painting by sending a photo of your copy to us for evaluation in any convenient way, via Email or to the number

In the consignment department of our store you can get a free consultation about paintings and find out how much an old painting costs, where and for how much it can be sold in Moscow, which paintings are highly valued and are of maximum interest to antique dealers, and by what criteria they are valued. On our website, through the online evaluation form, you can quickly find out the price of buying a painting without leaving your home. At the end of the article, you can ask your question about assessing the painting and receive a comprehensive answer in 15 minutes.

Criteria for evaluating an antique painting

age of the painting;
author (artist), author's signature;
the presence of a hallmark, stamps of a museum or exhibition;
availability of an art examination document
origin;
condition of the painting (subject to restoration - yes/no);
completeness (frame present/not);
canvas size and material;

Estimation of the artistic and market value of a painting. What is the difference?

It should be understood: the assessment of artistic or historical value and the market valuation of ancient paintings is completely different types assessments.

Assessing the value of an antique painting implies that the expert has professional knowledge not only in the field of art, but also knows the market value, which is determined on the basis of supply and demand. An assessment of the painting by an expert - who is an antique dealer - will be real.

Online appraisal of an antique painting from a photo

How to evaluate an antique 19th century painting for free

Some simple ways free online appraisal of an antique painting from experts in the consignment department of an antique store.

Icon evaluation by phone

You can evaluate it for free and find out how much you can sell a painting for from a verbal description by calling the phone number of the antique store.

Appraiser visit - free of charge

If you do not want to waste time traveling to the center of Moscow, leave a request for an assessment. An art appraiser will come and meet at a location convenient for you completely free of charge.

The paintings are assessed by the seller. It takes from 5 minutes to an hour. The evaluation of antique paintings of great historical and artistic value can be increased over time.

Cost of antique paintings

The antique and market value of ancient paintings depends on tens/hundreds of nuances and asking questions: “how much does it cost?” old painting 19th century" or "how much can you sell a painting for in Moscow" - is completely meaningless. In short, the cost depends significantly on the name of the artist, the technique of execution and the materials and paints used. For collectors of antique paintings, paintings from the 17th, 18th, 19th and late 20th century are of interest. 19th century (until 1980). We can already clarify a lot from the photograph. We can name the approximate cost of our interest. But an accurate assessment can only be made by picking up the painting and carefully examining it. famous author we can offer comparatively high price, put it up for commission or recommend a collector or museum that may be interested in your copy.

How to sell a painting profitably

Directly to the collector? But where to find it? By nature, serious collectors are very distrustful people and prefer to add to their collection only in trusted places and from people with a reputation.
Accordingly, you are not their client. A private person who wants to decorate his apartment with a piece of painting? But without being an expert, who is willing to set a high purchase price? Without wasting time, bypassing small resellers from bulletin boards, you can contact an antique salon specializing in the commission trade of ancient paintings. Which you, in fact, have already done.

Payment and transaction confidentiality

Payment is made in cash or, at the client’s discretion, by transfer of funds to bank card. Payment of the entire amount due for the antique painting is carried out immediately after both parties agree on the mutually beneficial acquisition of the subject of the transaction. The purchase agreement is accepted after a visual inspection and assessment of the antique painting within the walls of this antique store in Moscow or at the meeting place of our representative with the client.

The Antique store strictly follows the policy of non-disclosure of personal data and commercial information about the transaction. The content of correspondence with the client and his contact information are not stored in the database of the antique store for longer than 3 days and are not transferred to third parties under any pretext.

Paintings are very popular as antiques and as an investment method. To invest money, it is very important to determine the real price of the work; in the case of collecting, this parameter is slightly less important, but nevertheless not last place. Appraisal of paintings involves collecting a large amount of information both about the market segment and about the object of sale itself.

Evaluation of paintings

Assessment and examination

For precise definition In determining the value of an object of art, it is very important to distinguish between concepts such as assessment and examination. In addition, it is necessary to understand what we are talking about when they say “appraisal of paintings and paintings.”

When we talk about a painting, we mean an object of art depicted on canvas using paints, pencils, oil painting or something else. If the conversation turns to painting, then in addition to paintings, it may also include drawings on porcelain or other objects. That is, painting has a more generalized concept than painting.

Now let's figure out what the difference is between an assessment and an examination. An examination of paintings is needed to distinguish the original work from a fake. It represents the conclusion of museum workers that the painting is genuine. This cannot be any museum, only some of them have the right to give such an opinion. In order to conduct an examination, in addition to permission from the authorities, it is necessary to have experts in this field, as well as laboratory equipment.

The customer is given a conclusion or refusal papers if the painting is fake. As a rule, an examination is also carried out for evaluation if there is a need to determine the price of a very famous and expensive painting. Counterfeits of less valuable paintings rarely happen High Quality. The examination does not provide information about how much a particular work of art is worth.

The assessment can be carried out by any experts who are licensed to do so. Often this can even be done online from a photograph, but such an estimate will not be accurate. There are paintings that cannot be appreciated without seeing them in person.

What affects the price of a painting?

Unlike other investment items, such as gold, antiques or collectibles, which only increase in value over time, it turns out that paintings are not so simple. This is so due to several factors. First of all, it is quite difficult to determine the real value of the painting being purchased.

The second point is that not all paintings become more expensive over time. And the last difficulty is individual approach to the formation of prices for art objects: even if all paintings become cheaper, the works of some artists may increase in price in a short time.

How is the assessment done?

Art has always been difficult to evaluate; its main feature is that each person can evaluate it completely differently. There are some rating scales that use different criteria. Typically appraisers use the following:

Provenance is the history of the origin of a painting and its ownership. This aspect is one of the most important in determining both its price and authenticity. For example, the fact that a celebrity owns an object of art or interesting story associated with its writing.
Historical and cultural value: the less famous the author, the cheaper the painting is. Paintings that belong to the world cultural heritage, can have a very high cost.
Expert opinion. This parameter does not always mean exactly museum expertise. If the picture is not one of those that are world famous, then it is enough to have an opinion from a specialist knowledgeable in this field.
Degree of preservation: it is obvious that the better preserved a painting is, the more expensive it is. Paintings that need restoration will be priced cheaper, as this involves a financial investment.

It is interesting that when buying a painting, Western investors most often pay attention to the first point, while Russian investors in most cases are interested in an expert opinion.

Art Gallery

The cost of paintings is also influenced by the author’s biography:

every participation in new exhibition in large Western galleries, as well as personal exhibitions, the cost of a painting increases by 10–15%;
Winning international competitions can raise the price of an author’s work by 20–30%.
The presence of works by a given author in private collections or popularity among collectors may also affect the estimated value.

How to evaluate your own painting?

If you are engaged in painting and you have found a buyer for your work, but you don’t even know approximately how to estimate the cost of a painting? Or another option: the work is put up for auction and you need to understand what the starting price should be and the minimum price; it doesn’t make sense to sell for less than that, but it’s better to wait. To determine these factors, experts recommend adhering to the following evaluation criteria:

Time and effort. Calculate how much time you spent on painting; this criterion may also include factors such as the artist’s education, his experience, the number of works sold, whether this is his main profession, and so on.
Subject. In order to receive maximum marks, the theme of the painting must be unique. The least highly valued works are those that are similar to others, the most valuable are those that are based on original idea and the special distinction of the author.
Common topics. If the work has general theme For many paintings, it is necessary to note how the work of a given author differs from the others, whether it has any zest of its own.
Quality. Even with excellent technique and originality, the painting must be painted in high level. There should be no paint stains, dirty lines, faded marks, and the paints should be well mixed. It is necessary to evaluate the quality of the paints and canvas themselves.
Color spectrum. It is necessary to consider whether the colors in the picture complement each other, or, conversely, are in contrast, as well as how their combination is perceived by outside observers.
Proportions. Are there any violations of proportion in the picture, elements written anywhere that look superfluous? All figures must be balanced.

It is very difficult to evaluate the picture. Such an object of assessment is too multifaceted and depends on many factors. It happens that in assessment you have to deal with several experts. In addition, the emotional component is also very important. The cost of a painting will always directly depend on the buyer’s personal impressions.