Value and price
What is an artwork worth?
Value is not written on the canvas. It comes from what comparable works have sold for. Here is what matters, and how we arrive at an estimate.
What drives value
Two pictures by the same artist can be worth very different amounts. These six points almost always explain why.
1. The artist and their market
How often do the artist’s works sell, where, and for how much? With no sales, there is no market price. All that is left is a judgement.
2. Unique work or edition
A painting or drawing exists once. A print exists in several impressions, for example as an etching or a screenprint. “12/50” means sheet 12 of 50. A unique work usually fetches many times more.
3. Medium and size
Oil on canvas, gouache on paper or coloured pencil: each medium has its own market. We only compare works of similar medium and size.
4. Date
Works from different periods of an artist’s career often sell at different levels. So the year counts, even if it is only approximate.
5. Condition
Creases, stains, tears, faded colours or a damaged stretcher lower the price. A condition report records the state of the work, with photos.
6. Provenance and evidence
Signature, dedication, labels on the back, invoices and letters show where a work comes from. Listing in the catalogue raisonné, the record of all known works by an artist, carries particular weight.
How Artloved estimates
- Like with like
- We look for sales by the same artist: unique work or print, similar medium, size and period. Anything else does not count as a comparable.
- A range, not a number
- From the comparables we build a range with a lower and an upper bound. With few comparables the range is wide, and we say so.
- Buyer’s price and seller’s proceeds, kept apart
- At auction, the buyer pays a premium on top of the hammer price. After commission and costs, the seller receives considerably less. We show both sides separately.
- Only sources we may use
- We only use sales data from sources whose terms of use are settled. We check who an artist is against the German National Library’s authority file (GND) and Wikidata.
- No forecasts
- We do not predict what a work will be worth in future. An estimate describes today’s market, with evidence.
What is a work by … worth?
Each artist page covers life, groups, exhibitions and the works in the Founding Collection. Prices are available on request, with the reasoning behind them.
- Thomas Niggl17 works in the Founding Collection
- Richard Vogl8 works in the Founding Collection
- Annegret Hoch6 works in the Founding Collection
- Sati Zech4 works in the Founding Collection
- Alois Öllinger2 works in the Founding Collection
- Erwin Eisch2 works in the Founding Collection
- Günter Dollhopf2 works in the Founding Collection
- Hans Matthäus Bachmayer2 works in the Founding Collection
- Heimrad Prem2 works in the Founding Collection
- Helmut Sturm2 works in the Founding Collection
- HP Zimmer2 works in the Founding Collection
- Hubertus Heß2 works in the Founding Collection
Have you inherited art?
Before anyone puts a figure on it, five simple steps help. They cost nothing and protect the work.
1
Don’t clean or unframe it
Leave the work as it is. Cleaning or unframing can cause damage and erase traces of its history.
2
Take photos
Front, back and signature, in daylight and without flash.
3
Measure it
Height by width in centimetres; for works on paper, the sheet without the frame if you can see it.
4
Write down its history
Who did it come from, and since when has it been in the family? Keep invoices, letters and catalogues.
5
Ask
Send us photos and measurements. We research artist, provenance and market, and reply with evidence.
Frequently asked questions
Why is my print worth less than a painting by the same artist?
A print exists in several impressions, a painting only once. Buyers pay more for the single piece. With prints, edition size, signature and condition still make a difference.
Does the auction price of a similar work apply to mine?
Only as a pointer. Published results usually include the buyer’s premium. After commission and costs, the seller receives less. And every work differs in medium, size and condition.
What if the artist has no recorded sales?
Then there is no market price. We look at the artist’s exhibitions, museums, groups and teachers. The range will be wide, and we tell you so.
Is an Artloved estimate a formal valuation?
No. It is a reasoned estimate for selling. For insurance, inheritance tax or court, you need a valuation from a certified appraiser.
Will my work be worth more if the artist becomes better known?
It may, but nothing is certain. We make no forecasts. We show what comparable works achieve today.
Is the signature genuine?
That cannot be said for certain from a distance. We compare with documented works and say openly when an attribution is unconfirmed.
Last updated: October 2026