r/artcollecting

Hi all, I hope someone can give me some advice here. I’m in England.

Around 7 years ago I commissioned an artist to create a very specific painting, I provided him with the composition and the characters / names to be included within the painting. The painting was very personal to me. After around 8 drafts we agreed on the final piece to proceed with. He painted it, I was very happy with it and paid the fee for the painting which is oil on canvas. It wasn’t cheap, it is a large oil on canvas.
Due to the personal nature of the painting I explicitly explained to him that I do not wish to have any prints made of the original, he agreed via email that I own the copyright.
Fast forward a couple of months and he reached out and said he was having such great feedback on his socials could he please please do a limited one off run of 100 glicee prints. I agreed but explicitly stated on email that it be limited to 100 and no more.
Fast forward to today I have found a website that has printed thousands of my exact paintings image on top t shirts, cups, mugs, glasses, posters….
I feel a bit violated and annoyed!
Do I have any recourse at all? All communication between me and the artist was via email.

Thanks in advance to anyone he can give me any advice at all!

Share with me your stories about the ones that got away. Do you have a story about an artwork that you were about to acquire and didn't go through with it? An art collecting opportunity that you missed out on? Here is my story...

In 1999 Sotheby's began an online portal for the purchase of artwork. There were some beautiful works of art available by top tier artists. I had my eye on an incredible Larry Poons large vertical drip painting. I ended up purchasing the artwork for $4000. Since the online portal was a relatively new thing for Sotheby's, the experience did not go smoothly. Communication was terrible, and worst of all, it had been 3 months, and they could not find the artwork in their warehouse. They eventually located the artwork, and then it was going to be another few months before they said it would be shipped to me. My frustration grew to a point that I decided to cancel the purchase. Had I just been patient, I would have a beautiful painting valued at well over $50,000+ today. My wife always tell me that the value today doesn't make a difference, because I would never have sold it!

Hi everyone! I’m currently working with an artwork collection and I’m interested in learning how artworks are properly appraised.

If you have experience with art appraisal, museum collections, or art valuation, may I ask what the usual process is?

I’d especially like to know:

• What information or documentation is needed
• How the artist, provenance, condition, medium, and size are considered
• How the artwork’s market value is determined
• Whether comparable sales are used
• Who is qualified to conduct a formal appraisal
• What makes an appraisal acceptable for inventory, insurance, or institutional records

I’m trying to understand the process properly rather than simply estimating the value. Any advice, resources, or examples of how you approach an appraisal would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

This is our new weekly thread that will allow artist to post their work and have a chance to promote their work to potential investors. All posts made outside this thread by artists promoting their own work will be deleted.

Hi everyone! I’m currently working with an artwork collection and I’m interested in learning how artworks are properly appraised.

If you have experience with art appraisal, museum collections, or art valuation, may I ask what the usual process is?

I’d especially like to know:

• What information or documentation is needed
• How the artist, provenance, condition, medium, and size are considered
• How the artwork’s market value is determined
• Whether comparable sales are used
• Who is qualified to conduct a formal appraisal
• What makes an appraisal acceptable for inventory, insurance, or institutional records

I’m trying to understand the process properly rather than simply estimating the value. Any advice, resources, or examples of how you approach an appraisal would be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

I realize this is not a standard edition code, but a print I’m looking at has “fu” next to the edition number (see https://www.artsy.net/artwork/victor-vasarely-composition-silver-3 ). Does anyone have any idea on what this means?

I inherited an original Sydney Laurence from either 1924 or 1927. I'm traveling so I can't look atm. It's simply titled "Mountain Road" with the date. Both in pencil on the wooden frame, presumably by the artist.

The story goes:

My great grandfather owned an outboard motor store in Juneau Alaska. Mr. Laurence needed either a motor or some work done on one and allowed my great grandmother to come and pick a painting out for trade. My great grandfather simply had no time or inclination to do this himself.

How accurate this story is? I have no idea. I do know that I've been looking at this painting since I was young and my grandfather took great pride in both the painting and the story behind it.

As of about three months ago, following my mother's passing, it now sits in my dining room. I will most likely never part with it as I'd prefer to keep both the story and the painting in the family.

That being said, would anyone here have any idea what kind of value this could have?

With cards and coins you can usually look for the same item.
With an original painting, there is no identical comp.
So if you had to value one today, what matters most?
Artist? Provenance? Historical importance? Quality? Previous sales? Something else?

I'm curious about objects that have almost no monetary value but somehow become irreplaceable.

It could be something from childhood, something belonging to a relative, a receipt, a broken object, a souvenir, whatever.

What is yours, and why does it matter to you?