How to read an artwork description.

Medium and support

The medium tells you what the artist painted with; the support tells you what they painted on. ‘Oil on canvas’ is a classic combination. Oil paints dry slowly, allowing depth of colour and soft transitions. Acrylic paints dry quickly, are flexible and retain their colour intensity. ‘Mixed media’ means the artist has combined several materials, such as acrylic, oil, pastel or collage.

A painting may be made on stretched canvas, wood, board or paper. The support determines how the work should be framed and where it should be hung.

Dimensions

Dimensions are given in centimetres, in the order: height × width. If a work is framed and the framed dimensions matter for your wall space, please ask us for them. For sculpture, it is also worth asking about depth and weight.

We group works in the collection by their longer side: small works up to 50 cm, medium works from 50 to 100 cm, and large works over 100 cm.

Year created and signature

The year of creation helps place a work within the artist’s practice. The signature is the artist’s name, usually signed in one of the lower corners on the front of the painting, or on the reverse. On request, we can send a close-up of the signature and a photograph of the reverse.

Framing

The framing details tell you whether a painting has a frame and what kind. Many contemporary paintings on canvas do not need a frame: the canvas edges are finished, and the work hangs directly on the wall. Works on paper are usually framed with a mount and glass.

Sculpture: casting, patina, edition

Bronze sculptures are usually cast in a foundry from the artist’s model, for example using the lost-wax process. Several casts can be made from a single model, so artists produce small, numbered editions. The notation ‘3/8’ means the third cast in an edition of eight.

Patina is a coloured layer on the surface of bronze, applied by the artist or foundry, for example in shades of brown, green or black. It is part of the work, so bronze should not be polished.

Original prints and reproductions

An original print, such as a lithograph, etching, linocut or screenprint, is an original work of art. The artist prepares the printing matrix, and impressions are made under their supervision in a limited edition, usually numbered and signed in pencil. A reproduction is a copy made using a printing process.

Every work in our collection is an original unless its description states otherwise.

Status and price

‘Available’ means the work is available to buy. ‘Reserved’ means someone has priority for an agreed period; you are welcome to ask when the reservation expires. ‘Sold’ and ‘Archive’ refer to works that are no longer for sale. We can help you find a work by the same artist or one of a similar character.

We provide the price of the artwork on request, along with availability and delivery details. There is no obligation to buy. The price is in Polish złoty and includes all applicable taxes.

Certificate of authenticity

Every work purchased from the gallery comes with a Kersten Gallery certificate of authenticity. Keep it with your proof of purchase: it may be useful when insuring your collection, for example. Find out more: How to buy.