Authenticating a Russell Painting

The staff of the C.M. Russell Museum offers only limited assistance in authenticating artworks, specifically in the distinction between original works and reproductions.  Here is a quick guide to aid you in identifying a reproduction.

First, reproductions of artworks have been produced for many years.  The Russell Museum, along with many other museums, has sold and continues to sell reproductions of popular paintings in our collection as well as those in other museums around the country.  These reproductions can be on paper or canvas (and the canvas prints are coated with a substance that mimics brushstrokes).  They are complete reproductions, meaning they include the artist’s signature and date as it appears on the original piece.  Sometimes the white border includes the name of the company that printed the reproduction (Ridgley, Brown and Bigelow, Aaron Ashley, etc.), but sometimes there are no markings at all.

The easiest way to identify a reproduction is with a magnifying glass.  Look at one of the solidly-colored areas.  If you see a regular pattern of tiny dots, you are looking at a photo-mechanical reproduction.  If you are not sure what to look for, look at a color image in a magazine with your magnifying glass.  The dots will be very apparent.  If you do not see a dot pattern, and the pigment (oil or watercolor) appears to be distinct from the paper or canvas, then you may have a painting.  However, this does not necessarily mean the painting is an original by a prominent artist.  It could be a copy.  Only an expert can make a final determination.  One resource is the Russell Catalogue Raisonné project, at the Charles M. Russell Center, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK, 405-325-5937.

If you would like to send an image, we can probably identify and let you know where the original is located.  Please send the image as an attachment to amorand@cmrussell.org.