We get dozens of emails each week asking for help identifying paintings, and/or verifying they are the “real thing”. True, some of these are asking if they have the original Mona Lisa and whether the “Print number 423567″ on the back of the plastic frame might be proof of that, but we do have some very interesting inquiries from people who may well own some valuable original art.

But, for the rest of us, here are a few tips submitted by a friend of ours -

“Checking original paintings’ authenticity

"Do I have an original Leonardo Da Vinci Mona Lisa?!" - nope, but you DO have a Fernando Botero!

If you do not know much about original hand made art but you would like to purchase a painting there are a few simple ways of checking that what you are about to spend your money is not machine made. So many ‘supposed’ limited edition “hand painted pieces of art” are absolutely nothing more than photographic replicas of the originals which have been manufactured not by the artist who laid down their signature, but by publishing companies. As crazy as it is, a great number of signed lithographs and giclees are also in this category. The only thing original about these “copy prints” are the hand-applied signatures. Here are some ways of thoroughly checking the painting you are buying.

- Checking the back of the canvas as well as the sides is important.

- Look at the type of wood that has been used.

- Remember to ask your seller as many questions about any kind of stamps or numbers that you find either on the back of the canvas or on the wooden stretcher bars. The more they can tell you about the history of your painting the better.

- Research where the artist’s other work is. Is there an identical painting hanging in a museum somewhere, for example? If so, it’s pretty certain you’ve a copy, not the real thing!

- Ask an expert!”