Old Masters Research & Cataloguing

Founded by Diederick Poncelin de Raucourt, Poncelin de Raucourt Fine Arts draws on active experience in the Old Masters market since 2010, including participation at TEFAF, an international network of scholars and art-market professionals, and ongoing engagement with the auction market through La Sélection, the weekly newsletter founded and edited by Diederick.

Each assignment combines historical knowledge and connoisseurship with digital archives, comparative research and modern research technologies. Every finding and reference is reviewed by the specialist personally. Thanks to active experience of the auction market, notably through La Sélection, we can also provide an independent opinion on the likely sale value of a given work.

• Historical and iconographic research
• Relevant bibliographical references, where available
• Comparisons with related works in museums and documented collections
• Analysis of supplied provenance information, inscriptions, labels and collector's marks
• Discussion of the relevant art-historical context, with attribution hypotheses identified as such when applicable
• An independent opinion on the work's likely sale value, informed by active experience of the auction market
• A professionally written, catalogue-ready text

The auction house remains responsible for physical examination, final lot descriptions, catalogue attributions and sale estimates.

Standard Research & Catalogue Entry: from €200 excl. VAT per accepted artwork.

More complex research, extensive provenance work or additional specialist consultation is quoted individually before work begins.

There is no automatic payment: every enquiry is reviewed and accepted individually.

Indicative turnaround: approximately five working days after acceptance and receipt of a complete dossier, subject to availability.

1. 1.Submit photographs and artwork information using the secure form.
2. 2.PDRFA reviews the documentation and confirms whether the assignment can be accepted, and at what fee.
3. 3.Historical research and catalogue drafting are carried out remotely.
4. 4.You receive the catalogue text and supporting research references by email.

This service provides art-historical research and catalogue-writing support based on photographic and documentary material supplied by the client. It does not, within the standard package, constitute a certificate of authenticity, a physical condition report, a formal appraisal or an appointment as the auction's designated expert. Findings are subject to the inherent limitations of remote research. Any formal expert engagement requires a separate agreement.

Acknowledgement of research authorship may be agreed individually, for example:

“Catalogue research by Diederick Poncelin de Raucourt, Poncelin de Raucourt Fine Arts, based on photographic documentation.”

Any credit must be agreed before use and must not imply formal authentication or an official expert appointment.