A professional who examines works of art, such as paintings, sculpture, and antiques, to determine their authenticity and value. Responsibilities include:

• Examines work for color values, style of brushstroke, esthetic correctness, and other characteristics, to establish art period or identify artist.
• Judges authenticity and value, based on knowledge of art history, materials employed, techniques of individual artists, and current market.
• May illuminate work with quartz light to determine whether discoloration is present.
• May x ray painting and perform chemical tests on paint sample to detect forgery or to authenticate work.
• May specialize in particular categories of art or in specific types of artistic articles appraised.