Artmetria · Eye · A painting at home?
You have a painting, and questions about it.
Who painted it? Is it valuable? Those are questions for a specialist who can examine it. Eye can help you prepare that visit: a careful first reading of what can be seen, and what to ask.
I
Photograph it, and read it
Take a clear photograph of the whole work, in daylight, then ask Eye for a reading: the subject, the technique, the period and school it suggests, and what remains uncertain.
II
Look at the back, and the details
Labels, stamps, inscriptions, the frame and the canvas say a great deal to a specialist. Photograph them too: they are the first things an expert will ask about.
III
Then see a specialist
For who painted it, whether it is authentic, and what it is worth: an expert, a conservator, or an auction house's department. Many auction houses give a first opinion from photographs, often free of charge.
Your questions
Can Artmetria tell me who painted it?
No. Eye never attributes a work. It can say what the painting suggests, and what remains uncertain — useful questions for the expert.
Can Artmetria tell me what it is worth?
No. Eye shows no prices and Artmetria values nothing. A valuation needs someone who can examine the work.
Is it authentic?
Authenticity is established by examination and research, never from a photograph. Artmetria does not authenticate.
Is the reading free?
Yes, with a free Eye account. Each month: 10 readings and 30 questions a month; identifying a work from a photograph is unlimited.
What can Eye read?
Fine art: a painting, a drawing, a sculpture. Furniture, jewellery, watches or books are not read, and Eye says so before you send.