Oil Painting

At a glance

• Family: Oil Paintings
• Periods most often found: Most date from 1820 to 1950.
• Typical price: about $600; range $100 to $10,000 and more for exceptional pieces
• What drives value: Artist, subject

What it is

Oil paintings on canvas, panel or board are the core of decorative and fine art. The French 19th century produced an enormous number of them: academic portraits and still lifes, Barbizon-school forest scenes, Impressionist-influenced landscapes, marine views of Normandy and Brittany, Provençal and Orientalist scenes, and amateur works from Sunday painters. Most decorative oils on the market are by unrecorded or minor artists.

How to identify and date it

Turn the painting over: an old canvas is hand-woven, stretched on a wooden stretcher with corner keys, often with stamps of Paris colormen (Lefranc, Bourgeois, Tasset et Lhote) that help date it. Craquelure should be consistent with age; artificial cracks are uniform. A signature should sit in the paint layer, not on top of the varnish. Relining (a new canvas glued behind) is common and acceptable; overpainting and heavy restoration show under UV light. The original frame adds value.

Periods and styles

Most date from 1820 to 1950.

How much is it worth?

On the US retail market, most oil painting examples ask around $600. Simple or worn pieces start near $100, while documented, signed or exceptional examples can pass $10,000. The main value drivers are: artist, subject. These are indicative ranges, not an appraisal; see our price guide for French antiques for the method.

Before you buy

• Check the back and stamps
• Inspect craquelure and signature
• Ask about restoration
• Check the frame

Living with it

Hang a group of small oils together in a salon arrangement, or a single large one above a sofa or sideboard.