Distinguish a visual product selection from documented maker, medium, edition and provenance information before purchasing art.
Identify the work
Request the title or catalogue reference, dimensions, medium and support, and clarify whether the listing describes an original work, an edition, a reproduction or a decorative object. These are different categories; a product name alone does not establish authorship or originality.
Request supporting records
Ask what documentation supports the maker attribution, production date, edition details and ownership history where relevant. A signature in a photograph is not independent authentication. For a significant acquisition, consider advice from an appropriately qualified independent specialist.
Clarify what is supplied
Confirm whether framing, mounting or a base is included, and request condition information for the actual item. Ask about signed or numbered details where the product is described as an edition. Do not infer contents from styled photographs or from another item in the same collection.
Plan the display
Check total dimensions, weight if documented, mounting requirements and environmental advice for the medium. Confirm installation responsibility and care instructions separately. DESROCH catalogue images can help you compare visual character, but they do not replace the records needed for an attribution or authenticity claim.
Separate identification from authentication
An inventory record should distinguish the work’s catalogue name, stated maker, medium, dimensions, frame and any edition or condition information. Retain the supporting documentation and make clear which statements remain unconfirmed. The Canadian Conservation Institute describes how painting supports and media respond differently to handling, light, temperature and humidity, and notes that labels or inscriptions can be relevant to provenance. Those observations support careful documentation; they do not establish authorship or originality. For a significant attribution, use an appropriately qualified independent specialist.
