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Artist Autographs

The artist's signature is a perennially pursued artifact. In the case of fine artists, such as Gustav Klimt or Claude Monet, it connotes authenticity. In author inscriptions, such as those by the acclaimed Charles Dickens, the signature suggests a particular connection between writer and reader. As such, artist autographs continually capture the collector's eye because their value, if authentic, will hardly diminish.

Artists have signed their works for centuries, yet it is truly a contemporary trend to see such celebration of the autograph itself. In today's market, an artist's insignia or signature can be used to authenticate, and in some cases date, a work of art. Writers' autographs have a similar authority in that they can guarantee an edition date of a published text or help identify written pieces that had previously been undocumented.

Many artist autographs for sale today are part of larger find, for example, a brilliant oil on canvas composition or a rediscovered hard-bound volume. But even the occasional signature on ephemera incites excitement among art enthusiasts.


Quick Facts

  • The first artist to sign his work was 6th century B.C. Greek vase painter Sophilos. Fragments from a "dinoi," or wine basin, bear the inscription: Sophilos drew me
  • Salvador Dali complicated the authenticity of his output by sometimes signing paper prior it being painted or printed (sometimes by another artist)
  • Some artists, including 16th century German master Albrecht Dürer and 19th century French innovator Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, often signed their works not with their full names, but with stylish monograms

Recommended Items at Auction

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Alfred Hitchcock (British, American,1899 - 1980)
Oct 01, 1:15 PM EDT
Alfred Hitchcock (British, American,1899 - 1980)
by Asté Maison de ventes
Est: $600- $1,200
$5000 Bids
Amiri Baraka, African-American Poet Ltd. Ed. of Spring Song
May 01, 2:00 AM EDT
Amiri Baraka, African-American Poet Ltd. Ed. of Spring Song
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Est: $300- $400
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Revealed! Umberto Eco Explains Meaning of the Last Line of “The Name of the Rose”
May 01, 2:00 AM EDT
Revealed! Umberto Eco Explains Meaning of the Last Line of “The Name of the Rose”
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Est: $1,000- $1,250
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Faulkner Ms. Fragment from "Light in August"
May 01, 2:00 AM EDT
Faulkner Ms. Fragment from "Light in August"
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Est: $15,000- $20,000
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Scarce Handwritten Letter by “Object in Fur” Artist, Surrealist Meret Oppenheim
May 01, 2:00 AM EDT
Scarce Handwritten Letter by “Object in Fur” Artist, Surrealist Meret Oppenheim
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Est: $500- $700
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Sellers Who Sell Artist Autographs


Asté Maison de ventes

Asté Maison de ventes