What's On The Back Of A Rembrandt?

Among the many calls the Portrait Society receives are requests to help identify the artist of an artwork that a person either purchased or inherited and they know very little about the provenance of the work.

The first place we ask the caller to look is on the front of the work, for a signature and perhaps a date. While this information can be helpful, it may provide only limited information. The next question we ask, “Is there anything written on the back of the work?” We ask them to check for information such as a title, date and the artist’s full name; if the buyer is fortunate, the artist will have provided additional information that can add to both the value and help to track the path the painting has taken.

The first 10 years of my career were spent at a history museum as an artist/exhibit designer and I quickly learned the value that experienced curators placed upon gathering and verifying as much information as possible before cataloging an item into their collection. These acquisition reports could at times fill pages listing every minute factual association, scientific examination and test used to authenticate the historic value of any artifact.

The point is that when you place your signature and date on your art, this is not just a formality but rather the first step a professional should take to ensure that your artwork and its creative story remain connected, thereby valued. In the hectic early years of trying to get your career on track, it is so easy to overlook some of those factual details, but years later you will find that recalling even the year a work was created can prove challenging.

For your consideration, here are some do’s and don’ts for signing your work.

Make sure your signature and the year in which it was completed is on the front surface of the work.

Make it readable but not so obtrusive that it stands out. A whisper is better than a shout.