Art appraisers value art for auction, insurance, and consulting purposes. They specialize in a particular type, style, or era of art and consider various factors to arrive at a value judgment. Authenticity plays an important role in the appraisal process, and appraisers may work with authenticators. Different appraisers may have different values, and companies tend to prefer using their own appraisers.
Art appraisers establish value for works of art or art collections. These art professionals usually have a degree in art history as well as many years of art sales experience. They usually work in auction houses, valuing art for auction purposes and offering consulting services for a fee. Art appraisers also work for insurance companies, art galleries and museums. This type of work often requires a willingness to travel, as it may be necessary to travel to the art rather than taking the art to the appraiser.
Typically, an art appraiser specializes in a particular type, style, or era of art. For example, some art appraisers focus on prints, furniture, or china. Others might specialize in medieval art, classical art, modern art, and so on. Specialization makes an art appraiser intimately familiar with all aspects of the art field in which he focuses. Art appraisers know the history of period art, are familiar with artwork from that period, and know how much other works from that period have been auctioned at various points in history.
Art appraisers may be called upon to appraise a specific work of art or appraise an entire collection; in that case, they may work with other reviewers if a collection contains a wide range of artworks. They may be involved in the authentication process used to confirm that art is authentic and to confirm ownership legalities. If they are not, during the art appraisal process they may come to the attention of an art authenticator or consult with an authenticator for more information about a work of art, as authenticity plays an important role in the appraisal of art.
The art appraiser will inspect the artwork in detail, review supporting documentation that provides information about the artwork, and determine what type of condition the work is in and what type of work was performed, if any. Art appraisers consider the era the work is in, who created it, current art values, and a number of other factors, ultimately arriving at a value judgment.
Since works of art can be considered priceless and irreplaceable, they are difficult to value. Art appraisers often have different values depending on whether they are evaluating the potential auction price, the probative value of a property, or the insurance value. It’s also not uncommon for appraisers to differ in their final judgments of a piece’s worth, which is why companies tend to prefer using their art appraisers rather than taking another art professional’s word for it.
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