How to Tell If Your Keith Haring Print Is Original

What to Check on a Keith Haring Artwork

A familiar image, signature or certificate is one part of the evidence. Review the artwork and its records together, using information specific to its medium and edition.

Keith Haring Signatures and Estate Certification

Signature conventions vary across Haring’s editions. Documented Chocolate Buddha lithographs carry Haring’s pencil signature and date. The 1986 Andy Mouse portfolio is documented with signatures by both Keith Haring and Andy Warhol.

For the 1990 Icons portfolio, documented examples carry a stamped certificate on the reverse signed by Julia Gruen, executor of the Keith Haring Estate. An estate executor’s signature and Haring’s own signature represent different edition histories.

Use the correct reference. Compare the medium, inscriptions and documentation with records for that particular edition. A signature format from one series should not be treated as a rule for every Haring artwork.

Compare Documented Series and Editions

These guides provide examples of compositions, signatures, edition details and production information to help organize your inquiry.

What to Send for an Initial Review

• The complete artwork: a clear front photograph showing the composition and visible margins.
• Signatures and markings: close-ups of dates, numbering, inscriptions, stamps and embossed marks.
• The reverse and records: accessible labels, certificates, invoices and ownership information.
• Dimensions: state whether you measured the full sheet, visible image or frame.

If the artwork is framed, start with the photographs you can obtain through the glazing and any accessible labels. Further photographs or a physical examination may be needed as the review progresses.

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Keith Haring Identification FAQs

Can an original Keith Haring artwork belong to an edition?

Yes. Haring produced original editioned works, including screenprints, lithographs and embossings. Identifying the documented edition helps distinguish the type of object you own from a later reproduction of the same image.

Does a certificate of authenticity settle the question?

Review who issued the certificate, what it describes and how it relates to the artwork. A document should be considered alongside the physical work, edition information and ownership records.

Does the Keith Haring Foundation authenticate artworks?

The Foundation dissolved its authentication committee in 2012 and no longer accepts new authentication applications. Retain any historical documentation you already have and include it with your inquiry.

Can photographs confirm authenticity?

Photographs can support an initial identification review, but they may not resolve questions about materials, technique or inscriptions. The evidence needed depends on the individual artwork.