It’s no news that Van Gogh paintings are some of the most highly demanded pieces of art in the world. They’re full of colour, and the effect they have on the viewer is nothing short of mesmerizing. But with that exemplary demand comes a problem.

The Real Thing

Even if you’ve got the financial means to buy an authentic Van Gogh, you’ll need to verify that what you’re buying is the real thing, and not something a scam artist skillfully forged for money.

Another problem is that, since some parts of Van Gogh’s life remain a mystery, there are always people who bring out paintings and claim that they’re authentic Van Goghs.

When A ‘New Van’ Is Found

There have been a slew of new paintings and artworks that have been claimed to be made by Van Gogh. So far, very few have been verified to be original.

Recently, an anonymous person brought forward a number of drawings and artworks, claiming they were authentic works of Van Gogh during his time in the Provençal countryside.

The Van Gogh Museum—the world’s leading authority on Van Gogh’s work—has dismissed the authenticity of these claims, saying they were merely imitations. However, respected academics such as Bogomila Welsh-Ovcharov, a professor at the University of Toronto in Canada, insist that they are real.

So, the question remains—how do you tell apart a real Van Gogh painting from a fake?

To know that, we’ll first have to look at techniques that can establish whether a painting is the real deal, made by an artist from the nineteenth century.

Forensic Testing To Determine Age

One of the easiest methods to determine if a painting is real or not is to determine the actual age of the painting.

Forensic testing measures carbon levels in canvases and paints, to see if the painting is actually as old as it’s supposed to be, or if it’s a newer copy that someone is trying to fob off on you.
It is to be noted that forensic testing to determine the age isn’t always accurate. There are methods to ‘fake’ age a painting so that it actually looks as old as a real painting. Nevertheless, it should be done, preferably by an agency you trust.

Check The Provenance!

If what you’re buying is the real deal, then any person in the art world will tell you; the first thing that you need to ask for from the seller is the provenance—a record of all the times that the painting has been sold and bought throughout the years.

Every authentic painting in the world will have a provenance attached to it, and that’s something that can verify whether what you’re about to buy. is the real deal or just master forgery.

Check whether the provenance itself is genuine. See if you can contact any of the names available on the document. It’s your duty to ensure that you’re not being duped.

Look At The Back Of The Painting

Most forgers, like Dutch master forger Geert Jan Jansen, are pretty talented when it comes to making exact copies of the original thing, but some of them miss out on something.

More often than not, they leave out all the stamps and badges that are affixed onto back of the painting, accumulated throughout the various sales it would have gone through.

If there’s a painting that doesn’t have the evidences of old sales, like stamps from old dealers, you’ll know that what you’re getting into isn’t the genuine article.

This is because, while art forgers are smart, they tend to overlook some of these details—giving away the fact that they’re actually copies.

When you’re buying something as expensive as a piece of art, it’s your job to be careful. Paintings are expensive, and no one is going to help you if you get duped.

So, when you’re on the market for a real Van Gogh, do all the necessary checks and make sure that what you’re buying is the real deal.

Also, buy only from reputed art dealers, since they’ll have their own reputations to protect, meaning they’ll be more likely to deal only with real pieces. That gives you the reassurance that you’ll be buying the real deal.  

Your Daily Dose of Van Gogh

What did Vincent van Gogh write on this day?

Find out in your FREE Van Gogh e-book.

Hundreds of questions answered by Van Gogh himself!

Free Van Gogh e-book
    18-11-2016 15:40     Comments ( 10 )
Comments (10)
 Bernard -  31-01-2024

I think I have an original van gouge painting of jypsys in the country

 Erik (Van Gogh Studio) -  02-06-2023

Do you think you own a real Van Gogh. Contact the Van Gogh Museum here to find out: https://www.vangoghmuseum.nl/en/about/knowledge-and-research/authentication-request

 Erik (Van Gogh Studio) -  13-02-2023

If you think you own a real Van Gogh you can contact the Van Gogh Museum. They get too many requests to be able to answer all of them though. You can also send us an email and we'll have a look. In most cases we can tell it is not an original. When we think there is a chance you are lucky to have a real Van Gogh we suggest contacting the Van Gogh Museum.

 Steven Harrell -  31-12-2022

Hello, I hope that you can HELP. At an auction 20 plus years ago, I bought a large box of paintings there were like 20 plus boxes, I just chose the first one not a clue of what was inside the box except paintings. As over a year went by and one normal day I was looking at what I bought a lot of people that I didn't know. One night I was looking at a movie that started Kirt Douglas about a artist name Vicent Van Gogh as i was watching i seen the paint of the flowet the same as i had. Moved with excitement wow I have a fake just like that one. Time passed and I got to thinking, what if. So I began my investigating, as I read and searched, what could make this real. The reading and studying kept saying the same thing. get out your magnifiers and I kept seeing more and more of the same flowers detailed into detailed. I said no one can paint pictures like that, you'd would have to have magic paint brush. The more i look the more i see. My magnifier showed me things that I could not of imagined with the naked eye.the more I read it all says tnnhe exact same thing the proof is in the mag nification. At tne bottom of the page is printed, " lithograph made in U S A And the heaver paper looks kinda aged. The art work feels greasy to the touch. I you can help this would say to hunters of the WORLD, "what if! I'm Steven M Harrell

 Victor Shattuck -  07-11-2022

I'm here because years ago I found a painting that reminds me o Except it's a country side cottage with the same technique is starry night .I found it in a pile of paintings in a goodwill years ago how can I tell if it's real also there is tattered very old paper over the back with some writing and I think in French.

 Greggy GoGo -  13-09-2022

If Vincent never sold any paintings , they wouldn't have sale or auction stamps on them.

 Gerrie Wessels. (+27) 0833125478 -  21-05-2022

Amongst other things the canvas of mine has a thread count of 13 x 17. Was rolled up at a stage before being reframed. Original owner fled Latvia and arrived in Boston during 1891. There after the son emigrated to Z A R ( South Africa) starting a business in Pretoria where he completed the building during 1903. Unaible to verify authenticity as yet.

 N.Clark -  12-02-2022

Is it true that Van Gogh drew or painted a self-portrait on the back of each of his paintings?

 Hazel Oldham -  04-12-2019

Loo hi I have copy and may e a print of a van gogh I'd like to know if it's from the real deal can a photo be sent somewhere to varufy if print of copy. I love it guess I'd love it to be a real fake. It's a drawing seen in the kroffer muller museum called vroegw tjeingen zijn. Thank you hope you can help. I'm in New Zealand.

 Amar -  25-07-2019

I love these pantings