Authentication
In accordance with the artist’s rights-holders, the Archives Camoin verifies the authenticity of works attributed to Charles Camoin (paintings, drawings) following substantiated written inquiries, delivers its opinion and/or issues certificates of authenticity.
The Archives Camoin builds on the rights-holders’ thorough knowledge of Charles Camoin’s work as well as on its archives which include the artist’s archival records, different inventories and registers, an important body of iconographic and documentary material compiled during the artist’s lifetime and enriched over time, confidential information shared by collectors, art dealers, auction houses, museums and galleries.
The authentication mission is part of the process of preparing the catalogue raisonné of Charles Camoin’s paintings initiated by the Archives Camoin in 2010. Sent information and images may or may not be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné. The names of owners of works by Camoin will remain confidential and at their sole discretion.
Authentication Process
The authentication process of works attributed to Charles Camoin (1879-1965) is free and consists of four steps. Please follow the steps described below or download the instructions in PDF format. By submitting an authentication request to the Archives Camoin, you agree to the present conditions and undertake to comply with them without any restrictions or reservation.
We remain at your disposal for any questions you may have about this process. All information provided will remain strictly confidential. Please note that the Archives Camoin is not authorised to appraise works of art.
1. Sending an Inquiry to the Archives Camoin
Please send to the Archives Camoin the following elements by email:
— High-definition, copyright-free, professional photographs of the painting or the drawing in question (without the frame, front and back views). Please use WeTransfer if the files are too large. Please add photo credit.
— Description of work: title and date (if known), medium, dimensions (without the frame), signature, inscriptions and/or labels (if applicable).
— Contact details of the present owner of the work and the name of the collection to be mentioned in the catalogue.
— Provenance: location and date of acquisition, provenance documentation, reproduction of the certificate of authenticity (if applicable), name of the former owners.
— History: sale history, bibliographic references, exhibition history (if known).
The photographs and the copies of documents submitted will be kept by the Archives Camoin for scientific, archival, and publishing purposes only.
2. Review by the Archives Camoin
Requests will be processed by the Archives Camoin upon receipt of all the required materials and when deemed appropriate. The Archives Camoin has complete discretion as to when the review is carried out. The decision about whether or not to proceed with the authentication process will be made after a first examination and preliminary research in the archives. We will provide an initial answer as soon as possible.
3. Making an Appointment at the Archives Camoin
If the work is not inventoried in our archives, we will have to carry out a thorough examination and arrange a meeting to authenticate the work.
The Archives Camoin may be required to handle and photograph the work in the process. Please note that the insurance of the work is the sole responsibility of the work’s owner.
4. Outcome
Following these investigations, the Archives Camoin will be in a position to form an opinion as to the authenticity of a work and its attribution to Charles Camoin (1879-1965), or to indicate that no conclusive answer has been reached during the review.
In this respect, you acknowledge and agree that the opinion of the Archives Camoin as to the attribution of a work to Charles Camoin is impartial, independent and inseparable from the state of knowledge available at the time the review was carried out. The Archives Camoin accepts no liability concerning the content of the opinion and shall not be bound by any obligation of result. The Archives Camoin may express doubts and reserves the right to revise its opinion at any time.
You acknowledge that this opinion may be indeterminate or negative and waive the right to take legal action of any nature or for any reason whatsoever against the Archives Camoin or any members of its team. Consequently, the Archives Camoin shall not be held liable for any loss or decrease in value arising from its opinion as to whether or not a work should be attributed to Charles Camoin.
Bound by an obligation of means, the Archives Camoin attempts only to create an atmosphere of trust by providing reliable, quality information regarding the authenticity of paintings and drawings attributed to Charles Camoin: above all, the Archives Camoin aims to protect, through his work, the memory of Charles Camoin.
A certificate will be issued for works deemed authentic and they will be included in the forthcoming catalogue raisonné of Charles Camoin’s paintings or the digital inventory of his drawings. It is understood that an authentication request does not guarantee that a work will be included in the catalogue raisonné of Charles Camoin’s paintings.
Authenticity Certificate
The owner of a work authenticated by the Archives Camoin may require a certificate of authenticity. We do not issue certificates to auction houses, but the buyer may request one after the sale.
The Archives Camoin is a non-profit association. In view of the operating costs of the association, the expenses generated by the handling of the archives and the documentation, as well as by the authentication process, a contribution is required when an authenticity certificate is issued:
— Administrative and research fees to issue a certificate for a painting: 500 euros, all charge included.
— Administrative and research fees to issue a certificate for a drawing: 300 euros, all charge included.
Once the invoice has been issued and the payment by bank transfer made in euros and in accordance with the present conditions, the authenticity certificate will be delivered by Ms. Grammont-Camoin. No duplicate certificate will be issued. It will be sent by recorded delivery within a maximum of three months after the authentication process.
