How to Identify Artist Signatures on Paintings: Complete Guide
An artist's signature is one of the most scrutinized details in the art world — and one of the most commonly faked. Whether you've inherited a painting with an illegible signature, found a canvas at an estate sale, or simply want to verify what you own, knowing how to read and authenticate a signature is the essential first step.
Each guide below covers what authentic signatures look like across different periods of an artist's career, how they evolved over time, the most common forgery techniques, red flags that indicate a fake, and the recommended steps if you believe your painting may be genuine.
Botticelli Signature
Learn to identify a genuine Botticelli signature. Discover how Sandro Botticelli signed his Renaissance paintings and how experts...
Caravaggio Signature
Learn to identify a genuine Caravaggio signature. Discover how Caravaggio signed his paintings, his rare signing habit, and how experts...
Cezanne Signature
Learn to identify a genuine Cezanne signature. Discover how Paul Cezanne signed his paintings, what authentic signatures look like, and...
Da Vinci Signature
Learn to identify a genuine Leonardo da Vinci signature. Why most authentic Leonardo works are unsigned, what authenticated inscriptions...
Dali Signature
Learn to identify a genuine Salvador Dali signature. Understand his distinctive signing style, the blank-sheet forgery crisis, and...
Degas Signature
Learn to identify a genuine Degas signature. Discover how Edgar Degas signed his paintings and pastels, and how to authenticate his...
Frida Kahlo Signature
Learn to identify a genuine Frida Kahlo signature. Discover how Kahlo signed her paintings, her inscriptions, and how experts...
Gauguin Signature
Learn to identify a genuine Gauguin signature. Discover how Paul Gauguin signed his paintings, his distinctive block lettering, and...
Goya Signature
Learn to identify a genuine Goya signature. Discover how Francisco Goya signed his paintings, his varied signing conventions, and...
Klimt Signature
Learn to identify a genuine Gustav Klimt signature. Discover how Klimt signed his paintings, his block-capital style, and how to...
Manet Signature
Learn to identify a genuine Manet signature. Discover how Edouard Manet signed his paintings, his cursive style, and how experts...
Matisse Signature
Learn to identify a genuine Henri Matisse signature. Discover how he signed paintings, drawings, and prints, red flags for fakes, and...
Michelangelo Signature
Learn to identify a genuine Michelangelo signature. How the Renaissance master rarely signed works, authentication steps, and what to do...
Monet Signature
Learn to identify a genuine Claude Monet signature. What authentic signatures look like, how they evolved across his career, red flags...
Munch Signature
Learn to identify a genuine Edvard Munch signature. How he signed paintings and prints, what authentic signatures look like, and...
Picasso Signature
Learn to identify a genuine Pablo Picasso signature. How his signature changed across his career's many periods, what authentic examples...
Raphael Signature
Learn to identify a genuine Raphael signature. How the Renaissance master signed works, Latin inscriptions, authentication steps, and...
Rembrandt Signature
Learn to identify a genuine Rembrandt signature. How he signed his works across his career, the difference between authentic and forged...
Renoir Signature
Learn to identify a genuine Renoir signature. How he signed paintings across his career, red flags for forgeries, and steps to...
Rubens Signature
Learn to identify a genuine Rubens signature. How the Baroque master signed works, workshop attribution challenges, and authentication...
Titian Signature
Learn to identify a genuine Titian signature. How the Venetian master signed works, Latin inscription forms, authentication steps, and...
Turner Signature
Learn to identify a genuine J.M.W. Turner signature. How he signed paintings and watercolors, what authentic signatures look like, and...
Van Gogh Signature
Learn to identify a genuine Van Gogh signature. What authentic signatures look like across his career, how they changed over time, red...
Velazquez Signature
Learn to identify a genuine Velazquez signature. How the Spanish master rarely signed works, authentication challenges, and what to do...
Vermeer Signature
Learn to identify a genuine Vermeer signature. How he signed with monograms, the Van Meegeren forgery scandal, and authentication steps...
