How the valuation is calculated
Art valuation is not a single number; it's a range that depends on attribution confidence, condition, provenance, and current market appetite. ArtSleuth's ai art appraisal produces that range with four inputs:
- Attribution & confidence — the attribution percentage directly shifts the authentic value: at 95% confidence, we weight the full authentic-market range; at 40% confidence, we hedge toward the reproduction range.
- Auction comparables — the app performs targeted web searches across recognised auction databases (Sotheby's, Christie's, Invaluable, MutualArt, regional houses) for recent sales of comparable works.
- Market trend signals — recent movements in the artist's market (or the identified movement's market, for unsigned works) adjust the range toward current sentiment.
- Condition assessment — visible damage, losses, restoration, and conservation issues are called out and used to discount the estimate where appropriate.
For self-created artworks, ArtSleuth also runs a dedicated fuzzy-logic pricing model that considers technical quality, complexity, originality, and artist career stage (novice / rising / professional) to produce a structured price range suitable for pricing your own work for sale.
What the valuation report includes
- An authentic / original value range with a low and a high bound in USD.
- A separate copy / reproduction value range — useful for insurance purposes even if the work turns out to be a well-executed copy.
- A narrative explanation of the market trend for the identified artist or movement.
- Up to six recent auction results for comparable works, with source links so you can verify each one yourself.
- A confidence statement on the valuation itself, plus a list of factors (signature condition, provenance gaps, potential restoration) that could revise it up or down.
Common questions the valuation answers
- If I insure this painting tomorrow, what number should I put on the policy?
- If I sell it through an auction house vs. a private gallery vs. directly, what price spread can I realistically expect?
- Is this worth paying $600 for a formal in-person appraisal? — if the AI range is below that number, probably not.
- How does the current market compare to five years ago for this artist?
Valuation vs. a formal appraisal
A formal appraisal — the kind recognised for estate taxes, insurance, charitable donation, and court proceedings — must be done in person by a qualified appraiser, typically certified by the American Society of Appraisers (ASA), the Appraisers Association of America (AAA), or the International Society of Appraisers (ISA) in the US, and equivalent bodies elsewhere. Our AI valuation is explicitly labelled as preliminary on every certificate and is designed to tell you whether and when a formal appraisal is worth the cost.
Get an AI valuation in minutes
Upload your painting and see authentic-value and copy-value ranges, plus real auction comparables, inside a single report.
Upload your artworkFrequently asked questions
How accurate is the AI valuation?
For mainstream listed artists with frequent auction activity, the range is usually within a realistic spread of what a specialist would quote. For obscure, regional, or unsigned works, the range is wider and we say so explicitly on the certificate.
Can I use this valuation for insurance?
As a starting point, yes — it will tell your insurer what ballpark to underwrite at. For final binding insurance valuation, most insurers require a formal in-person appraisal by a credentialed appraiser.
Do you account for the condition of the painting?
Yes. The condition-assessment pass flags visible damage, losses, yellowed varnish, and signs of restoration, and those factors directly influence the valuation range.
Do you use live auction data?
For the identified artist, ArtSleuth fetches recent auction results from public databases at the time of the analysis, links to each result in the report, and uses them to anchor the valuation range.
Can I value my own work?
Yes — tick This is my own artwork when uploading. A dedicated fuzzy-logic model then produces price ranges at novice, rising, and professional career stages so you can price realistically for your market.