Edward Koren: Five Authenticated Sketches

Many Old Master drawings retain antique collector's annotations and ink stamps that give a rough history of ownership and scholarship from generations back. Today, some dealers and, presumably, some collectors are embracing an authentication technology that imprints original artwork and autographs with a unique code that links to a permanent database. This is an updated version of the Certificate of Authenticity, which is not always reliable.

The five sketches by cartoonist Edward Koren seen on eBay have been examined by PSA/DNA authenticators, issued a certificate, and marked with the stickers and invisible ink that characterize the process. Whether this adds anything to the value of such obviously authentic Koren art is the decision of the buyer.

It's not clear whether the database will still be accessible in ten, twenty, or fifty years. It's also unclear whether newer technology will render such databases obsolete. It's possible that soon we might be tracking artwork as it changes hands through blockchain technology. Each individual work could be accompanied by an NFT that show's the piece's history from the artist's studio to the current owner with all transactions along the way. Nevertheless, quick sketches such as these may never merit such careful documentation, and could still leave them subject to the judgment of professional authenticators.

First up is a Koren sketch of a fish. Here's the full eBay listing:

Edward Koren
eBay listing accessed March 18, 2023

https://www.ebay.com/itm/325341844447?hash=item4bbfe293df:g:xwgAAOSw0eBjILZ-&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA0KHxzMdnhLE249Ec%2FAkam7a7iA%2BCERY4%2F96aoZt7W%2BwHiWq4UFT0TGQLA5P1u75yW6VR1GqgQDVivaszyPWqNXho5Swh0y5sGi0%2FsKgvQ2gj0FNwrtb58uwpl%2FvYlfJUABJrLIvN%2FBcAxQ8YkCcCtnqHNrQNVwVpnwPBDrl6F5JsAkgHNKgiG2yP0n9U3g9UY8KuH5m64n3TdQq5SCFGp7c7UJHuLos%2F%2FTck6To5d%2Be3wUZlsH8B6lyrrlMLUjc7EcYEgGRI6yvyUQtqO%2B3RgOg%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR9iu8u_eYQ

Edward Koren
eBay item description

The other Koren sketches have very similar eBay listings, so we can look at just the photos.

Two of the five sketches remain available:

Three of them have already been sold:

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