Authenticating Andy Warhol Art: A Guide
Andy Warhol left behind an extensive body of work that continues to captivate collectors worldwide. Capturing a snapshot of American life in the 20th century, Warhol is one of the great chroniclers of his era blending consumerism, celebrity and the everyday into objects of high art. Naturally, when buying Andy Warhol art it is important to know what to look for in regards to the authenticity of his works. In our guide we explore what to look for when authenticating Warhol prints and how to spot a fake.
Authenticating Warhol Art
To fully understand how to authentic Warhol art, it’s important to familiarize ourselves with Warhol’s various artistic processes. Warhol primarily used the silkscreen printing technique to create his most famous works, including the Marilyn Monroe and Campbell’s Soup Can series. He often layered colors, used repetition, and employed assistants in his Factory studio to produce multiple editions. Like with many artists, Warhol would release editions of various sizes and of various types of prints. When looking at the artwork, or requesting condition reports and images, you may notice different letters and numbers on the work.
Examining a Warhol Artwork
Many Warhol prints are signed and numbered from the main edition whilst others may be from other print runs including TPs. APs, PPs and EPs. When looking at a work a few simple questions can be asked:
- Does the edition size or type match that found in the Feldman and Schellman catalogue raisonne? Warhol’s print catalogue raisonne is a useful tool which documents the year, edition size, publisher, title and provides information as to whether the works are signed and numbered Ensuring that the physical artwork matches the details, such as if the work has a edition size and year for example, can be a quick way to understand the authenticity of the work you are looking at.
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What does the signature look like? Across his career Warhol’s signature changed meaning that as a collector looking at the authenticity of a work, does the signature match the wider style Warhol was using at the time?
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Publisher blindstamps: The catalogue raisonne details information about the work’s publisher and if it has one or not. Ensuring that theses details match can be a quick way to establish, or at least begin to understand, if the work is likely to be authentic.
Spotting Fakes…What To Look For?
As with examining any artwork, understanding what to look for is key to piece together the authenticity of a Warhol. When looking at the work there are certain red flags that may be present that may cast doubt as to whether the work is authentic or not.
Printing process: Warhol’s prints were created using the silkscreen method, if the work appears digitally printed it is most likely a fake.
Colors: Warhol and the pop-art movement often used bright, fresh colors in their works. Whilst age and condition are factors that affect the brightness and freshness of colors, does the ink look strong? Is it consistent? Is it also consistent with the age of the work?
Paper Quality: Wathol used high quality papers such as Lenox Museum Board, should the work appear thin or cheap, this can be an indicator that the work is fake,
Signature: Whilst Warhol’s signature varied over time the signature ought to match those he used around the time the work was produced, Looking at examples from the same series or a similar time period can help to spot if the signature is amiss.
Mispellings: Does the work have any spelling mistakes? For example, within the Soup Can series, are the titles correct? Does the spacing of letters look consistent and in line with the image of the work in the catalogue raisonne?
Printed signatures: Many Warhol reproductions use printed signatures. Looking closely at the signature, does it seem printed? Warhol would often use pencil or ball point pen to sign works If the signature doesn’t look natural, or handsigned, the work could be fake.
Printed artwork titles in margins: The popularity of Warhol’s imagery and works have seen many reproductions made. Should the artwork title or year, or even the name of an exhibitions/gallery, be in the margins of the print then the work may be a reproduction. Ensure, in your research phase, that you research thoroughly what the work looks like as per the catalogueraisonne and additional images online.
Provenance - Look For The Trail
Provenance refers to the documented history of ownership of an artwork. A well-documented provenance can significantly increase the value of a Warhol piece and serve as a strong indicator of authenticity.Look for:
- Original receipts or invoices from reputable galleries or auctions
- Exhibition history: where the artwork has been displayed in museums or galleries
- Inclusion in Warhol catalogs: such as the Andy Warhol F&S Print Catalogue Raisonné, which lists authenticated works
- Ownership history: showing a clear chain from Warhol’s studio to present-day owners
Be cautious of fake or altered provenance documents. Verify details with the original issuing gallery or auction house. If an artwork’s provenance seems incomplete or has unexplained gaps, consult a Warhol expert like Guy Hepner before purchasing.
The Reputation of the Gallery/Auction House
One of the most common and easy to conduct pieces of research you can do is to look at who you are buying from. Are they an established dealer of Warhol? How long have they been dealing with the artist? Do they offer many works and can be considered a specialist? Looking at the history and veracity of the gallery you are dealing with can help to piece together how genuine the artwork is. Since 2002, Guy Hepner has assisted collectors across the world to buy Andy Warhol original art and have a reputation for excellence. Our experienced and knowledgeable team are on hand to assist you with examining the authenticity of any given Andy Warhol artwork and conduct extensive due diligence on each Warhol we sell.
Value
One of the most obvious factors to consider is the price point of the artwork. If the price seems too good to be true then it most likely is. Whilst there can be bargains on the market, often from quick sales or distressed sellers, there will always be a range of tolerance in reference to where the price stands in line with the market. If the price of the artwork is far, far below that of other examples on the market then the work is most likely fake.
Understanding what to look for when authenticating a Warhol work is an important part of the buying process to avoid fakes and ensure you are purchasing a genuine Warhol work for art. For more information on our Andy Warhol prints for sale, contact info@guyhepner.com