What does it mean when art is attributed?

For starters, when a painting or other work of art is "attributed" to an artist, that means that in the opinion of a knowledgeable nationally or internationally recognized and respected expert on the artist in question, the art is likely to be the work of that artist. The key phrase here is "a knowledgeable expert." read more

Technically speaking, "attributed" means that in the best opinion of a qualified expert or authority on a particular artist, a particular work of art is likely by the hand of that artist. To repeat, the key words here are qualified expert or authority. read more

For starters, when a painting or other work of art is "attributed" to an artist, it means that in the opinion of a knowledgeable nationally or internationally recognized or respected expert on the artist in question, the art is likely to be the work of that artist. read more

Attribute In painting an attribute is an object (often symbolic) associated with - and seeming to identify - a particular figure, such as a saint. For instance, Saint Peter holds the keys of Heaven and Hell and Saint Catherine leans upon the wheel to which she was bound in an attempt to kill her. read more