Get a Harnett Certificate of Authenticity for your painting (COA) for your Harnett drawing.

For all your Harnett artworks you need a Certificate of Authenticity (COA) in order to sell, to insure or to donate for a tax deduction.

Getting a Harnett Certificate of Authenticity (COA) is easy. Just send us photos and dimensions and tell us what you know about the origin or history of your Harnett painting or drawing.

If you want to sell your Harnett painting or drawing use our selling services. We offer Harnett selling help, selling advice, private treaty sales and full brokerage.

We have been authenticating Harnett and issuing certificates of authenticity since 2002. We are recognized Harnett experts and Harnett certified appraisers. We issue COAs and appraisals for all Harnett artworks.

Our Harnett paintings and drawings authentications are accepted and respected worldwide.

Each COA is backed by in-depth research and analysis authentication reports.

The Harnett certificates of authenticity we issue are based on solid, reliable and fully referenced art investigations, authentication research, analytical work and forensic studies.

We are available to examine your Harnett painting or drawing anywhere in the world.

You will generally receive your certificates of authenticity and authentication report within two weeks. Some complicated cases with difficult to research Harnett paintings or drawings take longer.

Our clients include Harnett collectors, investors, tax authorities, insurance adjusters, appraisers, valuers, auctioneers, Federal agencies and many law firms.

We perform William Michael Harnett art authentication, appraisal, certificates of authenticity (COA), analysis, research, scientific tests, full art authentications. We will help you sell your William Michael Harnett or we will sell it for you.

William Harnett was an Irish-American painter born in County Cork, Ireland. During the Potato famine his family relocated to America. Harnett spent much of his childhood in Philadelphia and became a United States citizen in 1868. As a young adult, Harnett made a living as an engraver. When Harnett realized his interest in art he enrolled in courses at the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts. Harnett eventually moved to New York to continue his studies at Cooper Union and the National Academy of Design.

Harnett remained in New York where he initiated his career as a still life painter. Harnett innovated a trompe l’oeil style of painting still lifes, in which he made everyday objects look hyper-realistic. Many Dutch painters had the concept in the 17th century, but Harnett was known for unusual choice objects in his still lifes. Harnett painted everything from musical instruments, horseshoes, guns, books and money.

Harnett went to Europe in the 1880s, where he painted many of his most-known paintings. Harnett returned to the United States when rheumatism slowed down his ability to produce work. Harnett spent the last years of his life in New York City.

During Harnett’s lifetime his work was mostly sold to private collectors. Since his death, Hartnett’s work has been purchased by major museums across the United States, including the Art Institute of Chicago, the Brooklyn Museum of Art, the Carnegie Museum of Art, the Cincinnati Art Museum, the Cleveland Museum of Art, the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Harvard University Art Museums, the Honolulu Academy of Arts, the Los Angeles County Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Gallery of Art (Washington D.C.), the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the San Diego Museum of Art.

Do you think you own a painting by William Michael Hartnett? Contact us. We are the William Michael Hartnett experts.