Art-Secured Lending

Raise Capital Against Your
Fine Art

Turn a qualifying painting, sculpture, or collection into working capital without ever putting it up for sale. LQD advances private capital against the work while it remains titled to you, so the upside stays yours. Underwriting is asset-based and AI-assisted, with indicative terms in hours and no credit check or income verification. Eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.

Art as Collateral

Lending Against Fine Art

A serious work of art is stored capital. Art-secured lending lets you draw on that capital without selling the piece, so a painting, a sculpture, a work on paper, a photograph, or an entire collection can fund a purchase, a project, or a moment of opportunity while it stays on your wall or in your name. Bring forward a single important work or a full holding for confidential review.

Acceptance is never automatic. LQD weighs attribution and authenticity, provenance, ownership and title, condition, documentation, exhibition and publication history, current demand, its own valuation, and underwriting. A celebrated signature counts for something, but it does not by itself carry a work through review. What decides the matter is the weight of evidence behind the piece.

One point trips up many owners: the numbers attached to a work rarely agree. The price you paid, the figure on your insurance schedule, an auction estimate, a fair-market appraisal, and a likely resale price can all diverge, and none of them is the collateral value. Collateral value is LQD's own read on what the work could realistically achieve in today's secondary market, filtered through its condition, its paperwork, and live demand.

Where a bank sees an object it cannot price, LQD sees a market it already understands, reading comparable results, testing attribution and provenance, assessing condition, and gauging appetite category by category. Underwriting is AI-assisted and asset-based, so there is no credit check and no income verification, and every conversation is handled with discretion. Owners who borrow this way keep their collections whole and their future upside intact.

The Essentials

What We Lend Against
Paintings, sculpture, works on paper, and photography
Periods Covered
Contemporary, postwar, modern, select historical works, and collections
Capital Range
$10,000 – $10,000,000+
Turnaround
Indicative terms typically within hours
What Drives the Decision
Attribution, authenticity, provenance, condition, and LQD's valuation
Underwriting
Asset-based and AI-assisted, with no credit check

What Sharpens the Review

You do not need any of this to start a submission. When you do have it, though, it firms up the valuation and can mean a quicker read and stronger indicative terms:

  • A gallery receipt or an auction house buyer's invoice
  • A catalogue raisonne entry or artist-foundation authentication
  • A condition report prepared by a recognized conservator
  • Exhibition history and any catalogue documentation
  • Any insurance appraisal or valuation paperwork already in hand
  • Evidence of ownership or provenance where you have it. None of this is required to submit, and if the work already carries a lien or loan, that outstanding balance is folded into the capital structure, subject to underwriting and to the requested amount and the work's verified value supporting it
What Qualifies

From a Single Canvas to an Entire Collection

Work across many categories comes forward for review. Whatever the medium, ownership, title, LQD's valuation, and underwriting still govern the outcome, and eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.

Paintings

Paintings are the works we see most often. The questions are always the same: is the attribution credible, is the piece authentic, how does it present, and is there real secondary-market support for this artist and this kind of canvas. A famous name opens the conversation, but each painting stands on its own attribution, condition, and paperwork.

Sculpture

Cast bronzes, editioned pieces, and unique works by documented artists all come forward. Edition number and size, casting and foundry records, and estate or foundation documentation anchor the attribution and point to market depth. Scale, material, and physical state then shape how the piece is read.

Works on Paper

Drawings, watercolors, pastels, and gouaches by documented artists are all in scope. Paper is unforgiving of handling, so toning, foxing, and light damage matter, which is why a clear condition record and firm attribution carry extra weight here.

Photography

Fine-art photography works when the demand is genuine and the edition is well documented, meaning size, print number, printing date, process, and the artist's hand in it. The image is only half the story; the specific edition can decide whether there is meaningful collateral value at all.

Prints and Editions

Hand-signed prints and limited editions from artists with a real market are measured against comparables for that exact work and edition. Edition size and number, printer or publisher records, and condition all bear on the read. A print bearing a marquee signature does not automatically hold value.

Contemporary and Postwar

Living and postwar artists with a documented exhibition history and dependable secondary-market support are all candidates. Attribution, authenticity, condition, provenance, and present demand are weighed together, and how deep the market runs for that particular artist and period matters far more than the label.

Modern and Historical

Modern pieces and select older paintings and drawings can be reviewed where the attribution is credible and supported. Cataloguing language such as 'attributed to', 'studio of', 'circle of', or 'after' shifts the analysis, and the older the work, the more authentication it usually needs before the review can move.

Whole Collections

A collection can be pledged as a single, combined position, whether it centers on one artist or ranges across many. Each work is still examined on its own attribution, authenticity, condition, and market support, while the group is weighed for breadth and overall depth.

Where the Market Runs Deep

The Works We Most Often Advance Against

These are areas where demand is well established, though the list is far from complete. Every piece is still judged on its own attribution, authenticity, ownership, title, provenance, condition, documentation, exhibition and publication history, demand, LQD's valuation, and underwriting.

Contemporary Art

Living artists with a genuine presence in both the primary and secondary markets, gallery representation, and a documented exhibition record are strong candidates. Comparable sales, recent shows, and institutional interest all reinforce a work's collateral strength, though appetite shifts by artist and period and a marquee name alone settles nothing.

Post-War & Modern

The years from 1945 into the 1980s, spanning Abstract Expressionism, Pop, Minimalism, and Color Field painting, sit on decades of documented trading. When an artist has sustained institutional backing and a thick file of comparable results, LQD's valuation rests on firmer ground.

American & European Historical Works

Earlier paintings and drawings with solid provenance, a documented exhibition record, and a place in the scholarly literature can be reviewed when recognized experts stand behind the authentication and the attribution matches the accepted catalogue for that artist. As a rule, the older the work, the more authentication it takes to advance.

Sculpture & Three-Dimensional Works

Bronze editions from the estates of recognized sculptors, unique ceramics by documented artists, large steel and aluminum pieces with institutional exhibition history, and hand-blown glass by artists with a real secondary-market record can all qualify. For sculpture, edition numbering, foundry paperwork, and foundation records are central pieces of provenance.

Fine Art Photography

Limited-edition prints from recognized photographers with dependable secondary-market demand can be reviewed. The documentation that counts is edition size and print number, printing date, process, and paper, along with the artist's signature and any certificate of authenticity. Not every photograph holds meaningful collateral value, and the edition is decisive.

Works on Paper & Prints

Important drawings, watercolors, pastels, and other works on paper from documented artists, together with hand-signed prints and editions from artists with an established market, are all reviewable. Each is measured against comparables for that exact work and edition, and on paper, condition, edition detail, and documented provenance weigh especially heavily.

Valuation

How a Work's Collateral Value Is Set

Valuing a work for lending is a different exercise from a retail or insurance appraisal. No single number decides it; the factors below are weighed against one another, and none of them is fixed or guaranteed.

Attribution & Authenticity
The first question is whether the work is credibly by the artist, proven by evidence rather than by the name attached to it. Cataloguing terms such as 'attributed to', 'studio of', 'circle of', or 'after' move the analysis substantially.
Medium, Date & Scale
What the work is made of, when it was made, and how large it is govern how it lines up against other pieces by the same hand and against the wider market for that kind of object.
Signatures & Edition Details
Signatures, inscriptions, edition number and size, and casting information all help place a work, even though a signature on its own never proves authorship.
Catalogue Raisonné & Foundation Records
An entry in the catalogue raisonne and paperwork from a foundation or authentication board lend real support, but no single document is a guarantee of authenticity, value, or eligibility.
Provenance & Ownership
A documented ownership chain aids both attribution and title work. A distinguished prior owner can lift interest, while gaps in the record may call for further documentation.
Exhibition & Publication
A record of exhibitions and mentions in the scholarly literature help establish a work's standing, though exposure by itself does not create collateral value.
Condition & Conservation
Physical state is decisive. Restoration, overpaint, toning, tears, or structural trouble all cut into what a work supports. Independent condition and conservation reports record the state of the piece and any intervention it has had.
Rarity & Career Period
Where a work falls within an artist's arc, and how scarce that kind of work is, shapes demand and colors how comparable results should be read.
Comparable Results
Recent prices for comparable works, adjusted for date, category, condition, and market cycle, drive the analysis far more than any single headline sale.
Private-Sale & Dealer Activity
Private transactions and dealer-level support fill in what public auction records leave out and help gauge the real appetite for a given work.
Demand, Liquidity & Geography
How readily a work could actually change hands, and in which market, feeds directly into collateral value. Thin or uncertain demand counts against it.
LQD's Valuation
LQD's own valuation pulls these threads together. It is not a guaranteed appraisal, and it is not the same as an insurance figure, an auction estimate, or the price first paid.

The numbers rarely agree. What you paid, your insurance replacement figure, an auction presale estimate, a fair-market appraisal, and a likely private-sale or resale price can all point in different directions, and not one of them is automatically the collateral value. An insurance figure usually tracks replacement cost and sits above collateral value; an auction estimate is a presale opinion, not a valuation. Collateral value is LQD's read on what the work could realistically achieve in today's secondary market, subject to underwriting.

Authenticity & Attribution

How We Test Authenticity

Authenticity and attribution sit at the heart of every art review, and they almost never turn on a single piece of paper. One document rarely closes the question, and neither a certificate nor a signature is conclusive on its own.

Depending on the work, the evidence we draw on can include catalogue raisonne entries, artist-foundation records, authentication-board findings, gallery invoices, auction-house records, certificates of authenticity, estate paperwork, expert opinion, and, where it is warranted, forensic or materials analysis. Older pieces and works with uncertain attribution generally have to bring more of this record before a review can move forward.

A few things are worth saying plainly. A certificate of authenticity does not, by itself, fix eligibility or collateral value. A signature alone does not prove authorship. An auction house accepting a work does not guarantee a capital offer. And cataloguing language such as 'attributed to', 'studio of', 'circle of', or 'after' shifts the review in a real way.

LQD claims no affiliation with, endorsement by, or authority on behalf of any artist, estate, foundation, authentication board, catalogue raisonne publisher, gallery, museum, or auction house. Any names appear only to describe a work accurately.

What the Cataloguing Terms Mean

By the Artist
Credibly the artist's own work, backed by evidence.
Attributed To
Probably the artist's work, in whole or in part.
Studio / Workshop Of
Made in the artist's studio, perhaps under supervision.
Circle Of
From the artist's period and stylistically near, though not from their own hand.
After
A later reproduction or rendering based on the artist's work.

These distinctions move both valuation and eligibility, and each is judged on the evidence attached to the specific work.

Documentation

What to Send for a Review

You do not need a full file to open a confidential review, but whatever records you hold help with authenticity, attribution, ownership verification, valuation, title work, and underwriting. The more you can share, the faster a work moves through review, and a missing item does not close the door.

Useful records and images include:

  • Sharp front and back photographs, plus details of the signature, inscription, and frame or mount
  • Artist, title, date, medium, dimensions, and edition information
  • Purchase records, gallery invoices, and auction records
  • Certificates of authenticity and catalogue raisonne entries
  • Provenance and ownership documentation
  • Exhibition and publication records
  • Appraisals, conservation reports, restoration history, and condition reports
  • Insurance schedules and the work's current storage location
  • Details of any existing lien or encumbrance on the work

Send what you have and start the conversation; anything outstanding can follow once the review is under way.

Custody, Handling & Insurance

A pledged work is kept in insured, climate-controlled fine-art storage for the life of the arrangement. It is logged in on arrival with a documented, photographed condition record and returned in that same condition once the balance is repaid, from intake through to release.

When a piece has to move, LQD arranges specialist handling, proper packing, and insured transport, with cover set at the agreed value for the term. Exactly how a work is handled, shipped, and stored depends on the piece, its medium, and its size.

Collections and Advisors

Owners of several works can structure an arrangement in which a collection stands as combined collateral. LQD works alongside collectors, estate representatives, art advisors, and legal and financial professionals. Each work is still reviewed on its own, and eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.

Borrow or Sell

Lending Against a Work vs. Selling It

Selling and borrowing are two different instruments, and neither is the right answer in the abstract. A sale turns a work into cash for good and makes sense when you truly want out of the position. It also means giving up the piece, paying dealer commissions or auction fees, and taking whatever the market offers on the day.

Borrowing lets you hold on to the work, keep a collection whole, and sidestep a forced sale while you meet a separate need or seize an opportunity, all while the piece stays titled to you and any appreciation stays yours. It comes with its own costs: financing, appraisal and diligence, custody, insurance, transport, and storage, plus default risk. If the arrangement defaults, the pledged work may be subject to loss.

Timing usually settles it. An owner who has no wish to sell into a soft market, or who is protecting an estate or a long-term collection plan, often prefers to raise liquidity without letting the work go. Others would rather simply sell. Weigh both against your own situation before you decide.

Weighing It Up

Keep the Work
Hold the piece and keep a collection intact instead of parting with it.
Timing
Avoid selling into a soft market or on someone else's clock.
Costs
A sale can mean dealer commissions and auction fees; borrowing means financing costs.
Custody & Insurance
The pledged work is stored, insured, and handled by specialists throughout the term.
Default Risk
If the arrangement defaults, the pledged work may be subject to loss.
Why LQD

Discreet, and Built for Collectors

Handled in Confidence

Every submission and conversation stays private, with provenance review and a documented intake. Your work is never listed, consigned, or advertised.

Valued on the Evidence

Works are read through LQD's own valuation and condition record, weighing attribution, provenance, and market support rather than leaning on any single figure.

Insured, Museum-Grade Storage

Specialist handling, insured transport, and climate-controlled storage where it applies keep the work protected for the whole of the arrangement.

The Process

From Submission to Capital

01

Send the Work In

Share photographs and any records you have for the piece or collection. Nothing is required to open a confidential review, and whatever documentation you can provide speeds the assessment along.

02

Review and Valuation

Specialists examine attribution, authenticity, condition, provenance, and comparable market support while LQD's valuation takes shape. Ownership and title are verified as part of the same review, and AI-assisted underwriting keeps it moving quickly.

03

Indicative Terms, Then Funding

Qualifying submissions can receive indicative terms within hours, following authenticity and attribution review, ownership verification, condition review, LQD's valuation, title review, and underwriting. Once an arrangement is approved, funding generally follows within 24 to 72 hours, subject to documentation and review.

Put Your Art to Work

Bring a single work or a whole collection forward for confidential review. Qualifying submissions can receive indicative terms within hours after authenticity, ownership, valuation, title review, and underwriting, with funding typically inside 24 to 72 hours of approval. Eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.

Questions Collectors Ask

Art Lending, Answered

Can I raise capital against a painting while keeping it?
Yes. With art-secured capital the painting stays titled to you for the entire term, so any future appreciation remains yours. Rather than being consigned, listed, or sold, the work is placed in insured, climate-controlled storage while the arrangement is outstanding. Qualification turns on attribution, authenticity, ownership, title, condition, LQD's valuation, and underwriting, and eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.
Does LQD lend against sculpture?
Sculpture is regularly considered, from cast bronzes and editioned pieces to unique works by documented artists. Edition number and size, foundry and casting records, and estate or foundation documentation all help confirm attribution and gauge market depth. Not every sculpture will qualify, and eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.
Is contemporary and postwar work eligible?
Living and postwar artists can be considered when there is a documented exhibition record and genuine secondary-market support. We weigh attribution, authenticity, condition, provenance, and present demand together. A well-known name on its own does not establish eligibility, and eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.
Can a full collection be pledged together?
Yes. You can submit a single important work or bring an entire collection forward as combined collateral. Every piece is still judged on its own attribution, authenticity, condition, provenance, and market support, while the group is considered for overall depth. Eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.
How much capital can a work support?
There is no set amount or fixed percentage. Available capital reflects verified market value, attribution, authenticity, ownership, title, provenance, condition, documentation, demand, liquidity, any existing liens, underwriting, and how the arrangement is built. LQD lends from $10,000 to $10,000,000, each request assessed on its own, and eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.
Is an auction estimate the same as collateral value?
No. An auction estimate is a presale opinion and settles nothing on its own. Independent valuation looks at comparable results, private-sale and dealer activity, condition, provenance, and current appetite. What a work supports as collateral can sit above or below an auction estimate, an insurance figure, or the price you paid.
Why is collateral value lower than my insurance figure?
Insurance value usually reflects replacement cost and tends to run higher than collateral value. Collateral value is LQD's read on what the work could realistically achieve in today's secondary market, so it commonly differs from an insurance schedule, an auction estimate, and the original purchase price.
Is a certificate of authenticity required?
A certificate can help, but on its own it does not fix eligibility or value, and a signature by itself does not prove authorship. Attribution is built from several strands of evidence, including catalogue raisonne entries, foundation or authentication-board records, gallery and auction history, and expert opinion. Eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.
What if the provenance has gaps?
A complete ownership chain is not a precondition for a confidential review. Whatever records you hold assist with attribution, valuation, and title work, and any gaps may simply call for further documentation. Provenance is one factor among many, and eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.
How much does condition matter?
Condition carries real weight. Overpaint, restoration, toning of the paper, tears, or structural problems can all reduce what a work supports, and an independent condition report documents its physical state. Condition is weighed alongside attribution, provenance, and demand, and eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.
Do restoration and conservation help or hurt?
They can do either. The effect depends on the work itself, how extensive the intervention was, and how well it is documented. Conservation and condition reports clarify what has been done. Each piece is judged on its own merits, and eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.
Are prints, editions, and photographs accepted?
Prints, limited editions, and photographs can be considered where there is real secondary-market demand and clear documentation of edition size, edition number, printing, and the artist's role. Not every print or photograph carries meaningful collateral value, and eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.
Where is the work kept during the term?
The piece is held in insured, climate-controlled fine-art storage for the life of the arrangement and returned in the same condition on repayment. LQD arranges specialist handling, a documented intake with condition photographs, and insured transport. If the arrangement goes into default, the pledged work may be subject to loss.
Can inherited or estate works be pledged?
Inherited works can be considered. Estate paperwork, earlier appraisals, and records that confirm clear ownership and title all support the review. Attribution, authenticity, condition, and valuation still come into play, and eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.
What about jointly owned works?
Jointly held works can be considered, and every owner of record is normally expected to consent and take part in confirming ownership and title. Attribution, authenticity, condition, valuation, and underwriting apply as they would for any submission, and eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.
Can I pledge a work that already has a lien?
An existing lien is not an automatic disqualifier. Where one is in place, the outstanding balance is built into the capital structure, subject to underwriting and to the requested amount and the work's verified value supporting it. Eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.
How fast does the process move?
An initial read is typically ready within hours, and indicative terms can follow the same day depending on the work, the documentation, ownership verification, and how involved the valuation is. Once an arrangement is approved, funding generally follows within 24 to 72 hours. Works needing deeper attribution or provenance research take longer, and timing, eligibility, and terms are not guaranteed.
Does a famous signature guarantee acceptance?
No. A recognized name or signature guarantees nothing, and a signature alone does not establish authorship. Cataloguing language such as 'attributed to', 'studio of', 'circle of', or 'after' changes the review materially. Each work is authenticated and valued in its own right, and eligibility and terms are not guaranteed.
Further Reading

Worth a Read

Also Accepted

Other Asset Classes

Ready to see what your art can do?

Start a confidential conversation with LQD.

Unlock Liquidity (516) 762-4200