Authentication
Certify your Linda Le Kinff artwork
Do you own an artwork by Linda Le Kinff? Le Kinff Art, the artist's official representative, issues numbered certificates of authenticity that are verifiable online.
How it works
1. Complete the form below
Enter information about your artwork and choose your package: starting from €120 for a numbered print, €180 for a unique artwork.
2. Send your photographs
After placing your order, you will receive a personalized link by email to send us your high-definition, glare-free photos: front, back, and a close-up of the signature. You can also attach any existing certificates, invoices, or letters of authenticity.
3. File expertise
Each request is personally reviewed by Peter Schaffer, the artist's son, official expert and legal representative of Linda Le Kinff.
4. Receive your certificate
Once validated, your certificate will be sent to you by email. It bears a unique number and a QR code allowing its authenticity to be verified at any time on our verification page.
If the examination of the file does not establish the authenticity of the artwork, no certificate will be issued, and the amount paid will be fully refunded. The issuance of a certificate is at the sole discretion of the expert: please refer to article 8 of our Terms and Conditions of Sale.
Does your artwork warrant a certificate? Our honest answer.
Linda Le Kinff has produced many large-edition prints: serigraphs and lithographs with print runs of 300, 450, sometimes more. We prefer to tell you the facts before you order.
In the auction and resale platform market, a numbered print by the artist commonly trades between €80 and €400. In this context, a certificate will not make much difference: an auction house sells at the lot price, regardless of the accompanying documentation.
In direct sale to a collector or through a gallery, the same print is usually priced between €450 and €1,200. The difference between these two markets is the "doubt discount": this is precisely what the certificate eliminates.
In other words: if you plan to use an auction house or an auction platform, certification will probably not be cost-effective. If you sell directly, insure your artwork, pass it on or donate it, or simply want to clear up any doubt, it is worthwhile.
This is why certification for a numbered print is priced at €120, not €180. We prefer a customer who knows what they are buying over an extra order.
Frequently Asked Questions about Certificates
Can't find your answer? Write to us, we answer everyone.
Who issues the certificate, and on what grounds?
Each certificate is issued 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 repression of fraud in the transaction of artworks and collectibles.
How long does it take to receive my certificate?
The digital certificate is sent by email within 5 working days from the validation of the file. The paper version, if you chose it, is dispatched within 15 to 20 days, plus postal delivery times for international shipping.
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.
What if my artwork's authenticity cannot be established?
No certificate is 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 binding negative expert opinion: it means that the information we have is insufficient to conclude, and it does not prejudge the value of your artwork.
What photographs should I send?
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 precisely obscure what the expert is looking for. A photo taken near a window, during the day, with a recent phone, is largely 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.
I no longer have the original invoice. Is this a problem?
No. The majority of files we handle do not have one. The expertise relies primarily on the artwork itself and on the studio archives.
That said, any old document significantly strengthens a file: gallery invoice, auction sales slip, previous certificate, correspondence, even a family photo where the artwork appears hanging. Attach everything you have.