Antique oil painting appraisal, online
That oil painting that came down through the family, the one you have never quite known the value of, deserves a proper look. Our team researches comparable sales, attribution, and condition, then sends you a clear value report within three days.
Structured research, reviewed for clarity
We begin with the signature, inscriptions, and any labels or stamps on the reverse, then place your painting against recent sales of comparable works rather than asking prices. Our team weighs the medium and support, the period and school, and the condition, including any relining, overpaint, or restoration. We read the frame and provenance for what they add to the picture. You receive a plain-English report with an estimated value range and the reasoning behind it, reviewed by our team before it reaches you.
What affects the value of antique oil paintings
Value rarely comes down to a single feature. Our team weighs several together, because a strong signature means little if the canvas has been heavily restored, and fine condition cannot lift a work that has no demand behind it.
Artist, attribution & signature
An accepted attribution to a listed artist is usually the largest single factor. A clear signature helps, but so do inscriptions, studio stamps, and any documented exhibition history. A work given to a known hand carries far more than one simply painted in the manner of a school.
Medium, support & condition
Oil on canvas, panel, or board each age differently. Our team looks at craquelure, relining, flaking, overpaint, and old varnish that has yellowed. Sympathetic, reversible restoration is normal in older paintings, while heavy overpaint or a trimmed canvas weighs against value.
Comparable sales
We rely on what comparable paintings have actually sold for at auction and in private sales, not on asking prices or insurance figures. Subject, size, period, and quality all shift where a given work finally lands.
Signed, attributed, or 'school of'? Why it matters
Two paintings can look almost identical yet sit worlds apart in value, depending on attribution. A signed and documented work, one attributed to an artist's own hand, and one merely described as 'circle of' or 'after' a master each occupy a different tier. Reading those distinctions takes comparison against known works, period materials, and sale records, which is the part of the research we handle for you rather than expecting you to judge it alone.
Inherited a collection of paintings?
If a houseful of paintings has come to you at once, it is hard to know which canvas deserves attention and which is a decorative print behind glass. You do not need to sort that yourself. Send us photographs of the signature, the full front, and the reverse of each piece, and our team will research them and tell you where the value sits. Start at /submit, or read /how-it-works first if you would like to see the process.
A few reports we've delivered
Illustrative: 19th-century Continental landscape, oil on canvas, indistinctly signed, in a period giltwood frame
$1,200 - $3,500
Illustrative: 18th-century Dutch-school still life of flowers, oil on panel, unsigned, with old restoration
$2,500 - $7,000
Illustrative: Victorian half-length portrait of a lady, oil on canvas, relined, signed and dated lower right
$600 - $1,800
Illustrative: late-19th-century marine scene with sailing vessels, oil on board, signed, with minor surface grime
$900 - $2,800Estimated ranges shown to guide research — not official appraisals for insurance, tax, or legal use. Illustrative examples.
Questions, answered honestly
How old does something have to be to be an antique?
As a rule of thumb, an antique is generally at least 100 years old. Items roughly 20–99 years old are usually called “vintage,” and the line shifts by category — but age alone never sets value. A 60-year-old designer piece can be worth far more than a century-old everyday object.
What affects the value of my item?
Value comes from a combination of factors: who made it, its age and rarity, condition, originality, provenance (its documented history), and — most of all — what comparable pieces have actually sold for recently. Our research weighs each of these to produce an estimated range.
I’ve inherited a collection — what do I do?
Start with the pieces you’re most curious about, or the ones you suspect are most valuable. Submit them individually, or for more than ten items use our white-glove service and we’ll research the whole batch together at a tailored rate.
Is this an official appraisal?
No. Every report is a thorough, researched estimate to guide your research — not an official appraisal for insurance, tax, or legal purposes. For those uses you’ll want a certified appraiser, and our report is a great, fast first step before that.
How accurate is a researched value report?
Our research is based on real comparable sales and a structured assessment of condition, era, and maker. It’s designed to give you a credible, well-researched estimate quickly. Like any estimate it isn’t a guarantee of sale price, which is why we always give a range rather than a single number.
“I had a vase from my grandmother and no idea where to start. The report was detailed, fast, and honest about the range.”
“Three days, a fair price, and a genuinely useful breakdown of comparable sales. Far better than waiting weeks.”
“Loved that it was upfront about being an estimate. It gave me exactly what I needed before talking to an auction house.”
Illustrative examples shown during launch — verified customer reviews will replace these as reports are delivered.
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