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Why can't you value my art from photographs?

' Liability

' As long as I am a professional art appraiser, I am held to a different standard than someone functioning strictly as a dealer.

' PLUS I like to be right!!!

Photographs do NOT reveal all condition issues and the public is not trained to properly describe them. How many of you can recognize light staining, mat burning, foxing, etc? These and other condition flaws significantly impact value.

' A reproduction attached to canvas virtually looks the same as an original oil painting in a photograph. Unless I know which museum is currently hosting the actual painting, I cannot be perfectly sure you are showing me a photographically generated reproduction or an actual painting when viewing a photograph. Now there are gicle' prints printed on canvas and enhanced with paint, a hands-on inspection is a must.