Is the artwork authentic?

Is the artwork authentic? It sounds like a simple question, but there are varying degrees of authenticity.

An authentic artwork is produced by the artist alone. However, artwork is usually still considered authentic when it was create by the artist with the assistance of others – studio assistants or students. Many of the great masters were well known to have created the basic outline of the work and had students or assistants finish the work or fill in the background. Canadian artist Norval Morrisseau is said to have painted the black outline of some of his paintings and have students finish filling in the background colours.

Sometimes an artwork is said to be in the “school of” a particular artists. This means it is by persons in immediate contact and clearly influenced by the artist. The Woodland School of Art is an example of this.

Artwork that is a “copy of …” or a “work after … a known artist” is also known. Students may copy a master’s work as a learning tool. It is not a forgery if it is clearly marked as a copy.

A forgery is a deliberate attempt to mislead a viewer as to the identity of artist, era, materials, etc.

Usually it is only well known artists whose work sells for large prices whose works are forged. It’s just not worth the effort for forgers to copy lesser known artists. The key is to become knowledgeable about art and to purchase from a reputable art dealer to be sure you know what you’re getting.