Examination of paintings for export abroad, confirmation of authorship

Let's look at the most popular requests in the art world — conducting expertise for exporting paintings abroad and attribution (establishing or confirming authorship). Conducting this type of expertise requires extensive experience and a positive reputation. The lead expert and founder of the gallery is Linda Strautman, an art historian expert with over 15 years of experience in the art field, and a current lecturer at the South Ukrainian National Pedagogical University named after K. D. Ushynsky. This came about historically, as Linda Strautman is the granddaughter of the People's Artist of Ukraine, the talented Odessa painter Albin Gavdzinskiy. Therefore, the path into the art world was destined for Linda Strautman since childhood. First, her grandfather taught her to understand the basics of painting, then he taught her to distinguish quality work and identify forgeries, and finally, her professional environment expanded to many artists of the Odessa school.

By becoming acquainted with the work of many artists and their relatives, studying their creative style, and regularly improving her qualifications, Linda Strautman has gained recognition from painting owners, artists, and collectors. Thanks to the support of the latter, a microscope with 200x magnification and additional equipment have been installed in the House of Artists gallery to help conduct comprehensive expertise. Specialized equipment helps establish many facts:

• the age of the art object and its creation period;
• whether there were interventions or if the item has been restored;
• the presence and nature of the signature or monogram — "in the impasto," on top of the paint layers, the type of signature, etc.;
• comparison with the work of the same artist from the same period.

How to obtain a permit to export a painting abroad?

Ukrainian art is of high quality, possessing a charisma of freedom and the beauty of colors and shades. Therefore, paintings, graphics, and sculptures by Ukrainian masters are often in demand among foreign collectors. Additionally, our artists often receive grants and invitations to participate in international exhibitions. For delivery by a carrier or sending paintings abroad via postal services, a permit is required, stating that "the painting does not represent artistic value of national significance," and consequently, such paintings are allowed to be exported outside the borders of Ukraine.

This is a requirement of Ukrainian legislation based on the doctrine of "leaving and preserving cultural values in Ukraine" [ Sources 1, 2 ]. However, if you have 1) a modern art object created after 1950, and 2) the author of the work is permitted for export by the Ministry of Culture, then you can arrange a permit for the international export of the artwork.

Paragraph 3 of the Instruction on the procedure for processing the right to export or temporary export of cultural values and control over their movement across the state border of Ukraine contains a list of souvenir items, cultural and household items of serial and mass production, for the export (temporary export) of which a permit from the State Control Service is not required: Paintings, small-scale sculptures, original graphics, tapestries, decorative and applied arts made of ceramics, porcelain, faience, glass, wood, metal, textiles, and other materials, created after 1950.

In other words, if you have a work by a modern author of a souvenir nature, and the painting was painted after 1950, then this painting can be exported abroad from Ukraine.

Call +38 067 766 2255 or contact us via messenger on Telegram, Viber, or Whatsapp

How to conduct an expertise for exporting paintings online?

Conducting an expertise is a very important and responsible procedure. An expert is responsible for every conclusion and values their reputation. Our address in Odesa is 39 Vadima Korzhenka St. (formerly Osipova St.). If you are not in Odesa and do not have the opportunity or time to come and show the painting for an in-person inspection, you can send the painting via Nova Poshta. In this case, the expert will be able to conduct a physical examination to establish all necessary facts. You can also order a preliminary verbal consultation, which will significantly reduce your costs and time.

The average time for preparing an expert conclusion is 1-2 business days. In exceptional cases, the expert can prepare an export permit on a weekend by prior arrangement.

How to identify the author of a painting? How to confirm the authenticity of a painting?

If you want to find out the author of a painting to include it in the export document, a surface analysis is sufficient. In extreme cases, it is permissible to state "author unknown." However, if you want to conduct a full investigation into "who painted this picture?", then this is a more complex expertise. The following facts must be established:

• what signatures or monograms are on the front and back of the painting;
• the character of the brushwork, creative style, and materials used;
• the approximate age of the painting;
• the origin of the painting and its ownership history (provenance).

If there are suspicions about who the author might be, this will significantly reduce the time required for the expertise. After that, it is necessary to compare the work of the same artist from the same period with the painting being examined. Based on the results of the comparative analysis and the data studied, the expert provides a conclusion recording:

- the artist's first name, last name, and date of birth;

- the artist's biography;

- a description of the painting's subject matter;

- the character of the brushwork and materials used;

- the dimensions and age of the painting.

For a preliminary expertise, a verbal consultation with the expert is sufficient. Send photos or videos of the painting, and we will help establish the author, approximate age, and valuation.

Call +38 067 766 2255 or contact us via messenger on Telegram, Viber, or Whatsapp

Sources:

1. Law of Ukraine "On the Export, Import, and Return of Cultural Property" No. 1068-XIV dated 15.11.2024
2. Instruction on the procedure for processing the right to export or temporary export of cultural values and control over their movement across the state border, approved by the Order of the Ministry of Culture and Arts of Ukraine No. 258 dated 22.04.2002
3. Law of Ukraine "On Culture" No. 2778-VI dated 30.08.2025"