New York and Miami
Before you buy, sell or insure a work of art, know what it is.
I’m Alina Katrenko, an international art specialist with academic training in Kyiv and coursework at Sotheby’s Institute of Art. Based in New York and Miami, I research, value and document artworks for private collectors and families, in English, Ukrainian and Russian.
Why people get in touch
You’re about to buy
A second opinion on price, condition and provenance before you bid or sign.
You’re thinking of selling
A realistic value and the right place to sell: auction, gallery or private sale.
You’ve inherited a collection
A clear list of what’s there and what matters, before anyone decides anything.
Your insurance doesn’t cover it
An inventory with photos and documents so your broker can schedule the works.
You’re moving between Europe and the US
Documentation that travels with the works and answers customs and shipper questions.
A family needs to divide works
A neutral starting point, with a formal appraisal through a partner when the law requires one.
Services and fees
Every fee is fixed in writing before work starts and never depends on the value I find.
First review
Send photos of the front, back and signature. Within 48 hours I tell you what I see and what the sensible next step is.
FreeConsultation
An hour in person or by video. You get a written summary afterwards.
$250Market value opinion
Written report: identification, condition notes, comparable sales and a value range for your own decisions.
from $450 per workPre-purchase check
Is the price fair, are there gaps in provenance, what to ask the seller before you commit.
from $750Provenance research
Archives, catalogues raisonnés, stolen-art registers, artist foundations and labs where needed.
from $1,200Collection inventory
Photos, measurements, condition, documents and a clean database. The base for insurance.
$650 half day, $1,200 dayBuying and selling advisory
Finding works, bidding at auction for you, negotiating, choosing where to consign.
fixed fee or retainerFormal appraisal
For insurance, estate, donation or court. Prepared and signed by a credentialed partner appraiser (AAA, ISA or ASA), with my research.
quoted per projectPrivate art tours
Galleries and museums in New York and Miami, and Art Basel Miami Beach week. In your language.
$350 for 2–3 hours
European art in American collections
Much of the European art in the US arrived with families from Germany, France, Austria, Poland, Ukraine and elsewhere. Its history is written in the languages of the Old World: archives, exhibition catalogues, and the records of European auction houses such as Dorotheum, Lempertz, Drouot and Bukowskis.
I connect those sources with the American market and show where a work’s story holds and where it has gaps. I pay particular attention to provenance for 1933–1945: without it, a work is hard to sell or insure today.
Areas I work with
- 19th-century European painting
- School of Paris
- Central and Eastern European modernism
- Old Masters: circle, workshop, copies
- Prints and drawings
- Icons
How it works
Send photos
Front, back, signature and any labels or papers. Use the form below or WhatsApp.
Get a first answer in 48 hours
What it likely is, which service fits and what it will cost.
Agree the scope
A short agreement with a fixed fee and a date.
Receive the report
A written report in English, Ukrainian or Russian, and a call to go through it.
About Alina
I was born in Kyiv and studied at the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture (2014–2018). In New York I completed Sotheby’s Institute of Art courses in Art Business and Art Appraisal (2026).
Before art, I spent years in documentation-heavy case work. That turns out to be most of what appraisal is: careful records, sources checked twice and a report a client can rely on.
- Art AppraisalSotheby’s Institute of Art, June 2026, credential 187722327
- Introduction to Art BusinessSotheby’s Institute of Art, April 2026, credential 182711787
- Bachelor’s degreeNational Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture, Kyiv, 2018
How I work
Independent
I don’t value a work I’m being paid to sell.
Confidential
Your collection stays private. NDA on request.
Fixed fees
Agreed in writing before work starts, never a percentage of value.
Honest limits
When a question needs a lab, an artist foundation or a credentialed appraiser, I say so and bring them in.
Questions
Is a market value opinion an official appraisal?
No. It’s a researched written opinion for your own decisions. The IRS, courts and insurers usually need a USPAP appraisal signed by a qualified appraiser. I arrange that with a partner and do the research.
Do you authenticate works?
I don’t issue certificates of authenticity. I research provenance and point you to the recognized authority for the artist.
Can you work remotely?
Yes. Most first reviews happen from photos and video. In person I work in New York and Miami.
Do you work with European auction houses and archives?
Yes. I research European archives and auction and gallery records, and when a question needs a local expert, an artist foundation or a lab in Europe, I bring them in.
Which languages do you work in?
English, Ukrainian and Russian, for conversations and reports.
How quickly will I hear back?
Within 48 hours on weekdays.
Request a review
Tell me about the work. The first review is free and there’s no obligation.