How to Read an Artist's Signature

Finding a name on a painting or print is often the first step in learning about it, but signatures can be hard to read and easy to misunderstand. This guide is for anyone who has found a piece at an estate sale, auction or in a family home and wants to make sense of the signature and use it to research the work.

Know where to look

Artists sign in many places, and some do not sign at all. Check:

• The lower right and lower left corners, the most common spots.
• Along the edges of the image, sometimes partly hidden under the frame.
• Within the image itself, worked into a rock, wall or shadow.
• The back of the canvas, panel or paper, including the stretcher bars.
• The margin below the image on prints, often in pencil.

Use good, raking light from a lamp held low to the side. A magnifying glass helps with small or faded signatures. If the work is framed, do not take it apart yourself unless you are comfortable doing so safely; a framer can remove it for you.

Decipher the letters

Signatures are often stylized, abbreviated or cramped. Try these steps:

1. Photograph the signature closely and enlarge it on a screen.
2. Write down each letter you are sure of, and use a placeholder for uncertain ones.
3. Note whether it looks like initials, a surname only, or a full name.
4. Look for a date, place name or number near the signature.
5. Compare letter shapes to clearer letters elsewhere in the same signature.

Some artists used a monogram, a symbol, or a pseudonym. A few signed with the same name as more famous relatives or contemporaries, so be careful about jumping to conclusions.

Understand different kinds of signatures

• Painted signatures on paintings are usually done in the same paint as the picture. One that looks noticeably fresher or sits on top of cracks in the paint deserves a closer look by a professional.
• Hand-signed prints are typically signed in pencil in the margin, often with an edition number.
• Signed in the plate means the signature was part of the printing surface and is reproduced on every copy. It is not a hand signature.
• Estate stamps are applied after an artist's death by the estate or heirs.
• Inscriptions on the back may include titles, dedications, exhibition notes or gallery details.

Look at labels and marks on the back

Gallery labels, framer's stickers, exhibition tags, canvas supplier stamps and handwritten notes can all support or add to what the signature tells you. Photograph them before anything is moved or cleaned, and never remove old labels; they are part of the work's history.

Compare with known examples

Once you have a possible name, search for that artist's work and compare signatures. Useful places include museum collection websites, auction price archives that show signature images, artist reference books in libraries, and, for well-known artists, a catalogue raisonné, a scholarly listing of an artist's known works. Look at how the signature typically appears, where it is placed and whether the style of the work matches.

Remember that a signature is not proof

Signatures are among the easiest parts of a work to fake, and genuine works are sometimes unsigned. Forgers add famous names to old paintings, and decorative reproductions often carry printed signatures. Treat the signature as one clue alongside style, materials, condition, labels and history of ownership. For anything you suspect is valuable, consult a qualified appraiser or the artist's recognized authentication authority, if one exists.

Get help with tough cases

If you cannot read a signature, regional art museums, local historical societies, auction houses and art appraisers can often help. You can also identify an item from a photo by sharing a clear image of the signature and the full work.

Quick checklist

• Search corners, edges, the image and the back.
• Use raking light, magnification and close-up photos.
• Note whether the signature is painted, penciled or printed.
• Photograph and keep all labels and inscriptions.
• Compare with documented examples by the artist.
• Treat the signature as a clue, not proof.