Listings policy on authenticity, rarity and artist involvement

All sellers must be able to guarantee the authenticity of the works they list, and clearly communicate the artist’s involvement. 

Sellers may list works that meet our listing requirements; however, items such as ephemera, books, exhibition posters and some collectibles related to an artist are not allowed on Artsy. For collectibles that do meet our requirements, you must accurately represent the extent of the artist's involvement. You must also have the right to sell these items. 

Please note that our listing requirements are continually updated based on the above qualifications, as such it is possible that there are comparable items currently listed on Artsy.

Generally speaking, only items that have been or would be authenticated by an artist, their estate or authorized body may be listed as “by the artist” (for historic works, use the generally accepted attribution and be sure to qualify any attribution nuances in the medium type field and artwork description). All other items must be listed as “after” the artist. Any listings that violate artist copyright are not allowed to be listed on Artsy.

How to list merchandise and multiples that meet our listing requirements

A common mistake is to collectibles, that are part of an artist’s practice, as sculpture. Please select the medium type Ephemera or Merchandise and classify these listings as unknown edition or open edition. If the collectible was from a numbered edition, please classify it as limited edition and add the edition information to the edition fields.

Example:

Similarly, merchandise, like skateboards authorized by the artist or artist estate, should be listed as Ephemera or Merchandise, and classified as limited edition, if numbered, open edition, if still being produced, or unknown edition.

Example:

Only use “Print” if a work was made using traditional printing techniques, such as lithographs, etchings, or aquatints.

Example:

What is a Certificate of Authenticity?

If an artwork is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity, you can note this by checking the “Certificate of Authenticity” box in CMS. You will then be asked to check whether the COA is from the authorized authenticating body or issued by the gallery. A common mistake when listing a work is to state that it is accompanied by a Certificate of Authenticity from the authenticating body, when in fact the accompanying document is a gallery-issued COA, original invoice, or other documentation.

Allowed

A certificate of authenticity (COA) is a document that verifies the artwork’s authenticity. 

A COA from an authorized authenticating body is typically from the artist, the printmaker who collaborated with the artist on the work, or, for secondary market works, authorized estates or foundations. 

A gallery may also issue a COA to certify authenticity.

COAs typically include the name of the artist, the details (title, date, medium, dimensions) of the work in question, and whenever possible an image of the work. COAs are also typically signed by the issuing party.

Not Allowed

If you have relevant documentation that provides meaningful evidence of a work’s provenance or authenticity, but which is not a COA, such as an invoice, you can reference this in the “about the work” section.

What constitutes artist involvement?

Works that the artist, their studio, or their estate, were not directly involved in making, or where the involvement is unknown, should typically be listed as "After the artist." To do this, simply search for “After [Name of Artist]” as you would any other artist name and select or add as appropriate. For information regarding artist selection please refer to our help center articles Uploading Artworks and Adding an Artist.

Example:

If a work was created posthumously, or was published by a third party (as is sometimes the case for prints, for instance), the production of these works must be authorized by either the artist's studio, their estate, or an authorized body. For more details, review Artsy's Policy on unauthorized items.

Listings cheat sheet for Prints, Multiples, Ephemera, and Merchandise 

When to typically list a work by...

View our Damien Hirst Artist Level Guidelines for an example of "After" artist. 

Please review our guidelines on the artist in question or our related article Artwork Classification and Medium Type Options for further details.