Authentication

Each certificate is established and signed by Peter Schaffer, Linda Le Kinff's son, official expert and legal representative of the artist. He works from the studio archives, which he has managed for years.

The certificate is issued in accordance with Decree No. 81-255 of March 3, 1981, on the suppression of fraud in transactions involving works of art and collectibles.

The digital certificate is sent by email within 5 business days from the validation of the file. The paper version, if you chose it, is shipped within 15 to 20 days, plus international postal delivery times.

The countdown begins upon receipt of your photographs, not at the time of order. An incomplete file will result in a request for additional information, which will suspend these deadlines.

No certificate will be issued and you will be fully refunded within 14 days. You do not pay for a document that we cannot provide.

A refusal is not a legally binding negative expert opinion: it means that the information available to us is not sufficient to conclude, and does not prejudge the value of your artwork.

At least four views, in the highest definition you have: the complete and well-framed front, the back, a close-up of the signature, and a close-up of the numbering if there is one.

Avoid flash and reflections, which obscure precisely what the expert is looking to see. A photo taken near a window, during the day, with a recent phone, is usually sufficient.

If the artwork is framed under glass, photograph it slightly at an angle to avoid reflection, or out of the frame if you can do so without risk.

No. The majority of files we process do not have one. The expertise is primarily based on the artwork itself and the studio archives.

That said, any old document significantly strengthens a file: gallery invoice, auction sales slip, previous certificate, letter, even a family photo where the artwork appears on the wall. Include everything you have.

It does not create value; it eliminates doubt, and doubt is expensive. A buyer who cannot verify what they are buying applies a discount, or does not buy at all.

Specifically: in direct sales or in a gallery, a certificate changes the game. In an auction house or on an auction platform, much less so: these channels sell at the lot price. We detail this point frankly at the top of this page.

You choose when ordering: French or American English. The certificate, its legal notice, and all our communications will follow this choice.

The certificate is valid in France and abroad, regardless of the chosen language. If you are unsure and your potential buyer is American, choose English.

Each certificate bears a unique number and a QR code. By scanning it, or by entering the number on our verification page, anyone—buyer, gallery, auction house, insurer—can confirm in a few seconds that the certificate is indeed in our register.

This is the difference between a piece of paper you are asked to believe and a document that can be checked. Verification is free and requires no account.

Yes, as an option. It is printed in black and white on matte card stock, hand-signed, and sent by mail. Allow 15 to 20 days after file validation, plus shipping time.

The digital certificate remains the reference document in all cases: it is the one that bears the verifiable QR code and cannot be lost.

One certification corresponds to one artwork: each has its own number, file, and certificate. Simply fill out the form once per artwork.

For more than five artworks, or if it is a collection or an inheritance, please write to us before ordering: we will organize the file differently and adjust the conditions.

It is designed for this purpose. Issued by the legal representative of the artist, numbered, dated, signed, and publicly verifiable online, it constitutes the document that these parties expect in the file.

It attests to the authenticity of the artwork: it does not fix its market value. A financial appraisal is a different exercise; if you need one for insurance or inheritance, please let us know.

Yes. Your certificate remains registered in our records: provide us with its number, or failing that, the title of the artwork and your name, and we will resend you the digital document free of charge.

However, reprinting a paper version is charged at the option's rate.

Your photographs are used for expertise and are kept in the artwork's file, in our private archives. We do not publish them or transmit them to anyone.

Only the details from the certificate itself—number, title, technique, dimensions, issue date—appear on the public verification page. Neither your name nor your contact information will appear there.

Yes, as long as the certificate has not been issued. The refund will be made after deducting, if applicable, the instruction already in progress.

Once the certificate has been issued, the service is fully performed and the right of withdrawal no longer applies: this is the purpose of the box you check when ordering, in accordance with Article L.221-28 of the Consumer Code.