How to know if a work of art is original: certificate, provenance and the questions a gallery must answer
A work is original when its history can be checked. What a certificate of authenticity is, what a complete provenance says, how a QR is verified, and which answers not to accept.
ByErick González
"Original" is not a quality you can see; it is a history you can check. A painting can be beautiful and fake, or ugly and authentic. What separates an original work from a copy or a doubtful attribution is that every step of its life, from the studio to your wall, is documented, and the parties who document it sign. This guide explains what to ask for and how to read it.
What a certificate of authenticity is
A document, issued by the artist or by the gallery representing them, that identifies the work without ambiguity: title, year, medium, dimensions, edition if any, an image, and the signatures of whoever answers for it. A good certificate also has a unique identifier and a way to check it that does not depend on trusting the paper. At Avant.Dev the certificate is a record: the facts are frozen and chained with a hash, the artist, the gallery and the collector each sign through their own link, and the QR on the pass opens the certificate's public page, where anyone sees the stamps without seeing the owner's name.
What a complete provenance says
Origin: the artist and the year, and where the work came from (the studio, a gallery, an exhibition).
Exhibitions and publications: where it was shown and where it was reproduced, with dates.
Owners: the chain of hands, even if the names stay private. What matters is that every transfer is recorded.
Documents: invoice, certificate, and on a resale, the record of the transfer and of the artist's royalty.
How to verify a QR or a code
Scan the QR on the pass or the document, or type the identifier at verify a certificate. The page that opens must show the work, the artist, the certificate's status and its stamps: certified, in the Vault, signed by every party, transferred if it changed hands. If the page does not exist, the code is fake or the certificate was cancelled, and the reason is shown.
Answers you should not accept
"I'll send the certificate later." The certificate exists before the sale or it does not exist.
"It's a certificate from the framing shop." Only the artist or their gallery can answer for authorship.
"It's original, but has no papers because it's old." It may be true, but then the price must reflect the risk and the work needs an independent appraisal.
"The signature on the canvas is enough." Signatures are copied; records signed by three parties are not.
Editions, copies and reproductions
An edition (print, photograph, screen print) is original when the artist authorised and numbered it; the certificate must state the number and the edition size. A printed reproduction of a painting is a poster, however well made, and should not be sold as a work.
Frequently asked questions
Does a certificate guarantee the value of the work?
No. It guarantees authorship and history. Value is decided by the market, the exhibitions and time.
What happens to the certificate if I sell the work?
At Avant.Dev it is transferred, not reissued: the history stays whole, the new owner signs and the artist's resale royalty is recorded.
Can I verify a work I did not buy here?
Only if it carries one of our certificates. For other works, ask the gallery of origin for its own verification process; if it has none, that is already an answer.
How avant.dev helps
Art advisory is what we do every day from Mexico City: we help collectors discover, acquire and build collections of original contemporary art, with the paperwork, the delivery and the certificate handled. If you would like a second opinion before your next acquisition, book a free 30-minute consultation or browse the works available now.
This content is for information and education only and does not constitute financial, investment, legal or tax advice.
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