Cherished CanvasGuides
What we have learned scoring thousands of marketplace listings, written out properly. No sales pitch — these are the checks worth doing before you bid, and the honest limits of each one.
Buying guide
A print reproduces an image mechanically; an original was made by hand, once. You can usually tell them apart in under a minute with a phone camera and a raking light — here is exactly what to look for, and where the modern fakes catch people out.
Buying guide
Gilt frames range from a few pounds of moulded plaster to period objects worth more than the painting inside them. The difference comes down to how the ornament was made, how it was gilded, and whether anyone has painted over it since.
Research guide
Most signatures on unattributed paintings are legible once you light them properly — the hard part is what comes next. A practical method for reading, transcribing and checking a signature, and an honest account of what one actually proves.
Directory
A directory of UK routes to a real opinion on a painting — free auction house estimates, accredited conservators, scientific laboratories, provenance checks and vetted dealer associations — with what each one can and cannot tell you.