How do I determine authenticity and value of a Chagall print?

June 17, 2008 10:31 AM

I have what I believe to be a Marc Chagall signed print. Is there an efficient way to find out exactly what I have and its value without exposing myself to potentially self serving gallery owners? Maybe I'm just being paranoid about galleries.
posted by inkyredbone to Media & Arts (3 answers total)

You should know that Chagall is among the top 5 of artists with lots of forgeries floating around. Any dealer you deal with will be aware of this.

Here's a page summarizing the situation and providing some guidelines.
posted by vacapinta at 10:38 AM on June 17, 2008

You need a fine art appraiser or a local museum that offers authentication services. A local museum should be able to point you in the direction of appraisers if they don't authenticate work themselves (increasingly the case for a variety of reasons). You could also try the American Society of Appraisers or the International Society of Appraisers -- look on their websites for directories.
posted by obliquicity at 11:27 AM on June 17, 2008

Some auction houses also offer low-cost appraisals - I had a good experience with Skinner in Boston.
posted by supramarginal at 6:13 PM on June 17, 2008