Fine Arts Library Bibliographic Guides:
Finding the Value of Works of Art
ART SALES INFORMATION
Because works of art by both living and deceased artists may be sold at auction, using auction records is one way to find information about the value of works by particular artists. There are several auction record indexes in the Fine Arts Library. Keep in mind you may have to look at more than one year to find the last time a work by a particular artist was sold at auction. Christie's and Sotheby's, two major art auction houses, publish illustrated summaries of their major sales for the year. Both the indexes and the yearly reviews are found in the RED REFERENCE section of the Library.
| N8670 .A616 | Art Sales Index. |
| N8602 .A62 1991 | Auction Book: Worldwide Contemporary Art Results From.... |
| N8660 .C5 A36 1993 | Christie's Review of the Season. |
| NE85 .C66 | Contemporary Print Portfolio: A Guide to Prices, New Editions & Sources. |
| N6447 .B483 | Encyclopedia of Modern Art Auction Prices. |
| NE85 .G67 | Gordon's Print Price Index. |
| N8640 .I65 | International Auction Records: Engravings, Drawings, Watercolors, Paintings, Sculpture. |
| N8670 .A78 | Kunst Preis Jahrbuch. |
| N8602 .L46 | Leonard's Annual Price Index to Art Auctions. |
| TR6.5 .P52 | Photographic Art Market: Auction Prices. |
| NE885 .P7 1994 | Printworld Directory: Contemporary Prints & Prices. |
| N8640 .A784 | Sotheby's Art at Auction. |
ART APPRAISERS
The staff of the Fine Arts Library are not qualified to act as appraisers to give estimated values to works of art. Appraisers can be found in the yellow pages of the local telephone book under "Appraisers." The Appraisers Association of America Membership Directory , Red Reference N8670 .A65, is also helpful in finding someone to determine the value of a work of art.
MONOGRAMS AND SIGNATURES OF EUROPEAN AND AMERICAN ARTISTS
Sometimes an artist can be identified by his/her signature. Others may use a monogram or initials to sign their works. Listed below are some reference sources that help identify artists by their signature or monogram. These books are in the RED REFERENCE section of the Library.
| N45 .C37 1990 | American Artists: Signatures and Monograms 1800-1989. |
| NC961.63 .C37 1989 | Artists' as Illustrators: An International Directory With Signatures and Monograms, 1899-Present. |
| N45 .C36 1982b | Classified Directory of Artists' Signatures Symbols & Monograms. |
| N45 .F35 1988 | Dictionary of Signatures & Monograms of American Artists from the Colonial Period to Mid 20th Century. |
| N45 .P74 1978 v.2 | Handbuch der Monogramme in der Europaischen Graphik vom 15. bis zum 18. Jahrhundert: Manual of Monograms in European Graphic Arts From the 15th to 18th Century. |
| N45 .G622 1984 | Monogram Lexikon: International Verzeichnis der Monogramme Bildender Kunstler Seit 1850. |
| N45 .N2 1966 | Monogrammisten und diejenigen bekannten Kunstler aller Schullen |
| N6767 .N33 | Monograms of Victorian & Edwardian Artists. |
| N45 .J32 1991 | Visual Index of Artists' Signatures and Monograms. |
Libweb | IUCAT |
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