Start with what you want to live with
Small landscapes, flower studies, harbour scenes and still lifes are useful starting categories for decorative buying. They can sit comfortably in a home without requiring a famous attribution. Before examining a signature, step back: does the composition hold together? Are the colours appealing in ordinary light? Would the picture still interest you in a plain frame?
“Spanish painting” can describe the artist’s nationality, the subject or the place of purchase. Those are different claims. A view of a Spanish village might have been painted elsewhere, and a painting bought in Madrid need not be Spanish. Ask the seller which meaning they intend, especially when nationality is being used to justify a premium.
Surface and support tell different stories
Oil paint can show raised brushwork, thin transparent layers or both. A flat surface does not automatically mean a reproduction, and texture does not guarantee a wholly hand-painted image: printed pictures can receive textured coatings or painted additions. Examine details under good light without touching the paint, and ask for the medium to be written on the receipt.
Canvas is flexible and comparatively light, but it can tear, loosen or become distorted. Board and wooden panels are rigid and convenient for smaller works, yet can warp, split or suffer moisture damage. Paper-based paintings need appropriate glazing and mounts. None of these supports establishes age by itself; artists use both traditional and modern materials.
A printed dot pattern can suggest a reproduction, although identifying a printing process takes practice and not all prints show obvious dots. If the distinction between an original painting and a print is central to the price, do not let a hurried market inspection settle a question you cannot confidently answer.
Separate attractive age from active damage
Look across the surface at a shallow angle. Raised flakes, curling paint, fresh-looking losses and pronounced distortions deserve caution. A network of cracks may be stable, but cracks alone are neither an authenticity certificate nor proof that treatment is unnecessary. Avoid flexing a canvas or testing loose paint with a fingernail.
With permission, inspect the reverse for tears, patches, dark moisture marks and signs of insects. A patch signals a repair, not automatically a bad purchase; the quality and stability of the repair matter. Musty odours and visible mould are reasons to pause rather than assume a quick airing will solve everything.
Yellowed varnish can change the appearance of a painting, but removing it is conservation work. Household cleaners may dissolve paint or leave residues. If a picture only seems desirable after an imagined restoration, obtain advice and a treatment estimate from a qualified conservator before buying. Sometimes the sensible low-budget choice is a different picture.
Give the signature less power
A signature is a clue, not an attribution on its own. It can be difficult to read, shared by several people, added later or copied. Record exactly what is visible rather than converting uncertain letters into a famous name. Compare handwriting only as one part of a wider examination of technique, materials and documented history.
Useful provenance might include an old invoice, a traceable exhibition label or correspondence clearly connected to the work. A frame label can belong to the frame rather than the painting, and a handwritten date may describe an event instead of the creation date. Ask how each document links to this particular object. Unsupported family stories should remain stories.
Buy the complete picture, including its costs
For a personal ceiling of €100, consider the purchase, transport, hanging hardware and any frame work together. This is a budgeting example, not a claim that a particular category is available at that price. Smaller unidentified works in sound condition can be more manageable than a large damaged picture with an ambitious attribution.
Measure both the artwork and the outer frame. Check whether joints are secure and whether decorative elements are shedding. Display away from direct sunlight, damp exterior walls and concentrated heat. Keep a simple record with photographs, seller details and the receipt. A modest painting with clear documentation and a place on your wall is a stronger purchase than a supposed bargain you cannot safely display.