Why Old Labels Mean Nothing in Art Authentication

Collectors are often reassured by old labels, gallery stickers, or handwritten notes on the back of a painting. They look convincing. They look historic. They are often completely meaningless.

1. Labels Are Not Proof , They Are Claims

A label does not authenticate a work. It merely shows that someone once claimed something about the artwork.

Anyone, at any time, could:

• glue a label on a stretcher

• reuse an old gallery sticker

• copy a collector’s name

• add a handwritten annotation decades later

None of this proves authorship.

2. Labels Are the Most Forged Element

Ironically, labels are easier to fake than paintings themselves.

Why?

• Old paper is easy to source

• Vintage ink can be replicated

• Historic gallery names are public

• Many defunct dealers cannot confirm anything

Forgers know collectors love labels, so they exploit them.

3. Real Authentication Never Starts With the Back

Serious authentication begins with:

• paint structure

• light logic

• brush rhythm

• layering and aging coherence

• signature integration (not presence)

Only after that comes provenance analysis. A label that contradicts the painting itself is worthless.

4. Labels Without Archival Confirmation Are Useless

A label has value only if:

• the gallery archives still exist

• the inventory can be verified

• the artwork matches archived records

• the timeline is consistent

Without independent archival confirmation, a label is just decoration.

5. Many “Old Collections” Are Invented

One of the most common fraud patterns:

“From an old European private collection.”

No name. No inventory. No documents. Just a label.

This phrase alone raises red flags for experienced experts.

6. Museums Don’t Authenticate With Labels

Neither do foundations. Neither do serious auction houses.

They look at:

• material evidence

• stylistic consistency

• documented history

• expert consensus

A label may be mentioned but never relied upon.

The Hard Truth

If a painting is authentic, it does not need a label to survive scrutiny. If a painting relies on a label to convince you, that is already a problem.

Old labels comfort buyers. They do not protect them. Consult with www.fae.llc