Course description
Determining Value: An Appraiser’s Perspective is a course that teaches students to enter the mindset of a professional appraiser and consider the many factors affecting how art is valued in a dynamic global market.
An artwork can have many lives, and many more values, depending on how, when, and where it is bought or sold, and this course explores various definitions of value, as well as the factors that can create (or detract from) it.
From an appraiser’s perspective, students learn how to properly research an object from “start to finish” to determine market price and understand the impact condition can have on value. Through presentations and interviews with industry experts, course lectures explore the pros and cons of different sale models, including a sale at public auction and the gallery level, and advise on how to keep track of values in the fast-paced global art market. This course also outlines what to look for when evaluating different media, including paintings, drawings, photographs, and prints, to provide students a deeper understanding of how to evaluate an artwork independently.
Upcoming start dates
Suitability - Who should attend?
For successfully completing this course, you receive a verified Certificate of Completion from Sotheby’s Institute of Art as well as 2.3 IACET Continuing Education Units. *
Our digital certificates allow you to share new skills with various social media platforms, including LinkedIn. Successful completion is defined by each instructor in the course syllabus and consists, at the least, of regular, thoughtful participation in online activities and timely submission of assigned papers or projects.
*As an IACET Accredited Provider, Sotheby’s Institute of Art offers IACET CEUs for its learning events that comply with the ANSI/IACET Continuing Education and Training Standard.
Training Course Content
Week 1: Uncover art market basics and understand the key differences between market definitions.
Week 2: Understand key factors that affect primary and secondary market levels.
Week 3: Identify the importance of medium and market research with a focus on paintings and works on paper.
Week 4: Expand upon methodology practices through market research, with focus on prints, multiples, and photography.
Week 5: Explore pricing methods in auction and gallery models as well as best practices for novice collectors.
Week 6: Examine the relationship of condition and value and the merits of consulting conservators.
Course delivery details
Award-winning online course
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Sotheby's Institute of Art
Sotheby’s auction house was founded in 1744 when Samuel Baker, an entrepreneur, occasional publisher, and successful businessman held his first auction. Today at Sotheby’s Institute, we emphasize a keen understanding of an object’s value and history, a spirit of inquiry...