Andy Warhol | Provenance & Authentication

Provenance: This work was in Warhol's possession when he passed away in 1987.  Like all items in his possession at that time, this artwork was stamped by the Estate of Andy Warhol.  Thus, the work has a provenance of the Estate of Andy Warhol and evidence of this provenance is reflected on the back of the work (via the stamp).

Authentication: Artwork created by Warhol was separated from everything else in his estate. This - the artwork he created - went to The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts (hereafter referred to as The Foundation).  At The Foundation, these artworks were stamped as "authentic" Warhol artworks. As a general rule, with some exceptions, The Foundation's stamp was placed alongside the Estate's stamp on the back of the artwork. Alongside the stamps, written on the artwork (in pencil), was the archive number for each individual piece of artwork.  That number references each piece of artwork within the archives.  The archive number is accompanied by the initials of the person at The Foundation who logged in the artwork.

This work has a provenance of the Estate of Andy Warhol and matriculated from there to The Foundation as described above.  It has an individual archive number which is available upon request.  Long-Sharp Gallery purchased the work from The Foundation for its inventory.  This work has not had a private owner other than Andy Warhol.

Note: The ability to seek authentication of Warhol's works at the Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts ended in 2012.

The Foundation was founded in 1987 in accordance with Warhol's will.  The Foundation's Board of Directors formed the Andy Warhol Authentication Board to authenticate Warhol's work.  Works not authenticated via the procedure noted above (those that did not have a provenance of Warhol's Estate) could be brought before The Authentication Board for a determination of whether the work was authentic.  If the work was determined to be authentic, The Board placed its stamp on the work (as described above). The Authentication Board provided this service for several decades.  On October 19, 2011, The Foundation Board of Directors announced that it would dissolve The Authentication Board in early 2012.  Since early 2012, there has been no official entity available to authenticate Warhol's works.