It’s Time to Update Your Resource Library with the New Version of ISA's "A Guide to Appraising Fine Art"

Thanks to the hard work and diligence of members of ISA's Fine Art Committee and Fine Art instructors, one of our principal texts, A Guide to Appraising Fine Art, has been updated, extensively expanded, and redesigned as a stand-alone resource for all personal property appraisers, regardless of specialty or background. Released this April, the comprehensive, practical guide is also a companion to ISA's Appraisal of Fine Arts Course.

The manual is an entry-level, step-by-step textbook, developed for professionals engaged in the appraisal of art at any level, from the generalist seeking identification tips for distinguishing an etching from an engraving, to the highly specialized art expert looking for new online research methods. Substantial new content has been added including a 58-page guide to researching value, written exclusively for ISA by Thomas McNulty, author of Art Market Research: A Guide to Methods and Sources, and Librarian for Fine Arts at New York University. Updated and expanded information has been added to the chapters covering art history and terminology, connoisseurship, authentication, identification of frames, paintings, prints and photography.

From the preface by Leon Castner, ISA CAPP, Director of Education:

Most art texts are very broad in scope and tedious in minutia, whether dealing with the numerous schools of art or thousands of individual artists. This text is quite different. It seeks to provide a concise yet fundamental history of predominantly Western art in preparation for understanding and valuing art in the marketplace…. it (also) deals with the difficult yet necessary topic of connoisseurship. By the end of the text, one can expect to have developed a good eye and sharp mind so that when an item not readily identified or covered in the market is discovered, it can be handled in a competent and professional manner.


The International Society of Appraisers thanks editor Rick Casagrande, ISA CAPP, along with Cathy Peters, ISA CAPP; Cindy Charleston-Rosenberg, ISA CAPP; Christine Guernsey, ISA CAPP; and Perri Guthrie, ISA CAPP, all of whom were heavily involved in this endeavor.

This guide has been enthusiastically received by ISA members. Copies on hand for review and sale at Assets 2014 in Kansas City were sold out during the first day of Conference. Purchase your copy of A Guide to Appraising Fine Art from ISA’s online store.