307 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 308 · Chicago, IL 60601 · Phone: (312) 814-8510

Online Art Research Center

Artists' Signatures

Discovering an artist’s signature is a strong lead to uncovering the authorship of a piece of art. Beyond style, theme, brushstroke and medium; a signature is the artist’s claim to the piece of art, a claim so important that artists frequently imbed their autograph in the main body of the painting. The signature is so important that some professionals devote their entire career to simply retrieving and verifying the authenticity of such a signing. Forgeries abound, so it is wise to do your research and seek out proper experts who deal with authenticating signatures.

Some artist’s signatures have become nearly as iconic as that of John Hancock, whose signature stands stunningly out on the Declaration of Independence. The signatures of Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali, for example, are renowned for their simplicity and have appeared on countless advertisements for exhibitions worldwide. Other signatures are less bold and require a bit of digging to discover the true authorship. Many signatures have evolved along with the artist’s work, as the career of sculptor Albert-Ernest Carrier-Belleuse shows. Originally signing his work “A. Carrier,” the artist eventually took to signing his work “Carrier-Belleuse.” This distinct difference exemplifies the need for additional research to be done on an item in order to verify its authorship and importance.

The placement of a signature on a piece of artwork, it is an important way of determining the value and rarity of such an item. While there are general rules that surround such placement, it is important to seek out the advice of a qualified art appraiser, consultant and/or researcher as every print by every artist is surrounded by a multitude of considerations unique to that specific piece of art. Below is a sample of the many signatures affiliated to pieces of art in the collection at MIR Appraisal Services, Inc.  Our research staff has generated a helpful database, serving as a starting point for anyone hoping to decipher the authorship of a piece of art.
Please keep in mind, unveiling an artist’s signature alone does not prove authenticity.  Consider a consultation with our staff at MIR Appraisal Services, Inc.  Our appraisers and researchers will serve as an advocate in unveiling the authenticity of your artwork in addition to consulting on your behalf with a panel of experts in the art world.

MIR Appraisal Services, Inc. · Site Map
307 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 308 · Chicago, Illinois 60601 · Phone: (312) 814-8510 · Email

Our appraisers are accredited members of either the International Society of Appraisers (ISA) or American Society of Appraisers (ASA).