Decorating Your Home With Original Art: Spotting Fakes Like A Pro

If you’re looking to enhance your home’s interior design and create a space that’s truly unique and special, decorating with art can help you achieve amazing results.

Whether we’re talking about paintings, drawings, sculptures, or any other form of decorative art, fine art pieces serve as a source of self-expression, inspiration and creativity, giving you the possibility to showcase your style and personability, create a welcoming environment and turn your house into a home.

However, you have to choose your art carefully and surround yourself with original items that can bring real value to your interiors, and that also implies sticking to authentic art and avoiding mass-produced work, cheap copies, forgeries or even stolen pieces. 

But how exactly can you verify the authenticity and provenance of artworks? Since you’re merely an art lover at best and not a certified art expert, it can be challenging to distinguish between counterfeits and genuine pieces.

The increase in art forgery and the absence of clear and consistent standards for validating the legitimacy and tracking the origin of artworks poses serious challenges even for art connoisseurs or specialists in the field of fine art attribution.

Fortunately, while the techniques used by art forgers have become increasingly sophisticated so have the detection methods of art authenticators. Nowadays, blockchain isn’t limited to the crypto world anymore, so it’s not just the preserve of those interested in investing in digital assets, constantly concerned with checking Bitcoin’s up-to-date price.

The technology can also be used as a solution for art authentication and can become a game-changer in the art world. But until blockchain-based tools can unravel their full potential in establishing the authenticity of artworks, the are other ways for you to determine if an art piece is real and not a high-quality fake. 

Hone your investigative skills 

If you’re dealing with an obscure art piece that you’ve come across randomly and you have no information about its origin except for the artist’s name, you might have to do a bit of detective work to uncover the story behind its creation. This implies doing a deep dive into the artist’s work and following the thread of clues to figure out if the item is genuine or not. 

Compare the piece you have with other works from the same artists and see if you can find any similarities. While artists are versatile and may employ different techniques and approaches, certain elements remain consistent throughout their work and help them create their signature style. So, if you notice that the art piece has nothing in common with the rest, there’s a high chance you’re dealing with a forgery. 

The internet can be a great research resource as you can find plenty of information about different artists and their work online. You can even find their contact details and get in touch with them, so they can confirm if the piece is an original.

This will not only help you solve an art mystery but it’s also beneficial for artists whose careers are deeply impacted by the increase in fraud and art forgery. Consequences range from a decrease in the value of authentic items to a damaged reputation and compromised legacy.  

Ask for a certificate of authenticity

One way to avoid the authenticity dilemma is to only purchase art pieces from certified providers like galleries, art shops, reputable art collectors or artists themselves. None of these parties would risk compromising their activity by selling works that are not legitimate.

What’s more, the items sold by authorized providers come with a certificate of authenticity which offers accurate and verifiable information on their provenance, so you can easily check if you’re getting the real deal. 

If for some reason they don’t provide an authenticity certificate, you should see this as a red flag and take your shopping elsewhere. Also, despite providers’ best efforts at ensuring the authenticity of the pieces they offer, sometimes high-quality forgeries can slip through the cracks, so you might still have to do a bit of research on the side. 

The truth lies in the details 

While many imitations are so well manufactured that they can easily pass off as originals, there are certain tell-tale signs that even non-experts can spot if they look carefully enough. So, what exactly should you be looking for?

The signature on paintings is something that a lot of forgers get wrong. They may be able to replicate the exact writing style, but they often neglect the placement and that can expose their deceit. 

Another aspect that can give fakes away is the materials they’re made of and how they behave in time. For example, you might notice that in old oil paintings, the paint has cracked forming tiny web-like patterns known as “craquelure” which are not present in most forgeries. 

It’s also important to pay attention to the overall quality of the item. Replicas often look less polished or don’t have the same depth and feel as the original. So, if you sense that something might be a bit off, you shouldn’t ignore your gut feeling.  

Consult with a specialist 

In the end, if you want to take the safest route, you can seek the assistance of an art specialist. Fine art can be a good investment, both from a financial and an aesthetical perspective, but it’s also risky. Therefore, you have to make sure you’re spending your money wisely on items that are truly valuable not on worthless imitations.

Before making a major purchase, ask an art appraisal expert to examine the pieces so you can enjoy full peace of mind. Art forgers have become so skilled that the art industry is now littered with impeccably crafted counterfeits.

So, if you’re planning to create a gallery wall or dot your house with valuable art pieces, you need to learn how to spot fakes from forgeries and choose authentic artwork that will stand the test of time.