Whether you are a collector of fine art, or only purchase occasionally for decorative reasons, you should get the answers to a number of questions before the purchase is made. With the exception of the all-important first question, the order of importance of these queries varies with the individual situation, but they should all be asked.

Do you love it?

The first and most important question is one that you ask yourself.

Yes, it might go perfectly with the color scheme and dEcor of the room, but do you really love it? Is it so much a "match" that it totally blends into and becomes a blur with the surroundings? Or does it stand on its own, as a good-looking piece of art?

Yes, you might have reason to believe that there is an upside to the value of the piece in question, but do you really love it? Will you rue the day you purchased it if the increase in value does not materialize?

Once you fall in love with a painting, don't stop there. Test that love by asking the seller these questions.

What do you know about the artist?

In addition to printed brochures and artist profiles, dig a little deeper to see if the seller has any personal information about the artist. This is particularly important if it is a contemporary artist. If the seller has been personally acquainted with the artist or his family, you can probe a little deeper to find out the nature and length of the relationship and how the art was obtained. You may also learn first-hand information about changes in the artist's style, medium and subject matter over time. Other areas to explore include the artist's output of work, when it began, whether it is a career or a sideline and if work is still being created.

What is the scope of the artist's market?

It is important to know whether the artist's works are marketed internationally, nationally, regionally or just locally. In context with this, try to determine the extent of the marketing effort behind the artist and his work. Here the adage "Don't hide your light under a bushel basket" is applicable. The artist can be truly great, but if only a small number have the opportunity to see this "greatness," the upside potential is limited.

When was the artwork produced?

In some cases, the date will appear somewhere on the art, but as often as not, it will be missing. If missing try to obtain some information from the seller on when the work was produced.

Does the artwork appear in print?

This is often an overlooked area. At the time, it may not seem all that important to note that such and such painting was exhibited in a one-man show at XYZ art institute - and its image published in the exhibition catalog. Assume, however, the art in question is a creation by an emerging artist and as the years pass, the artist becomes better known and collectable. At that point, this type of documentation is quite important and may be invaluable when questions of authenticity arise. For the same reason, it is equally important to know if the art was referenced in any scholarly publications or other published works referencing the artist.

Has the artwork been reproduced?

Today, more than ever, original artwork is being duplicated, through serigraphs, lithographs, giclees and other means of reproduction.

Sometimes it is very difficult to tell the original from the reproduction. And sometimes the definition of "original" is vague. If an artist personally "enhanced" or embellished a copy of his original reproduced on canvas by adding a few brushstrokes unique to that canvas, is it an original?

What is the provenance?

Provenance refers to the history of ownership. Determine if this is the first time the piece has been offered for sale, and if not, make inquiries about previous ownership.

Has the artwork been restored or altered?

First impressions often tell us what we had hoped to see, not what we actually saw.

Always take time to examine the piece thoroughly. If something -- no matter how small -- bothers you, stop, back off and examine it more thoroughly. When you are dealing with collectable art you are best advised to spend more time looking for what is wrong than what is right.

Carefully examine areas for any changes from its original state. For works on paper, examine the work out of the frame. Things to look for include patches or weaving to repair torn canvases, cutting down the original size to fit a frame and damage caused by foxing or fading.

How is the art signed?

Some artists cleverly work their signature into the piece itself, others may only sign on the reverse of a canvas or the underside of a sculpture. And many pieces go unsigned. When the signature is a single name or initials, be sure to obtain the complete name of the artist, if possible.

For further information regarding collecting art, contact Mildred Huie Wilcox at The Left Bank Art Gallery on St. Simons Island at (912) 638-3017 or 1-800-336-9469.