In research terms a signature is always one piece in a larger puzzle. So it pays to remember that sometimes you won’t find a signature at all, and nor would you want to.’ ‘However it is crucial to remember that some artists - such as Stanley Spencer or Christopher Wood - never signed anything. ‘If you have the choice it is always wise to favour signed over unsigned examples,’ advises Rachel Hidderley. When considering whether to invest in a work of art it is important to know whether an artist normally autographs their work. Signatures are important - but not essential This has made him attractive to forgers who think they can replicate the simple ‘BF’ - although imitating the exceptional hand and brushstrokes of a maestro is significantly harder to get away with, to say the least.’
‘Myles Birket Foster was an exceptional watercolourist, but his monogram was very simple. Rooth also looks out for artists who might have minimal signatures. If the signature has been added at a later date, the difference in pigment will show up by flaring.’ Of course you can also put the painting under a UV light. After seeing numerous works signed by an artist, you also develop a familiarity with how they sign and inscribe. ‘There is often a concentration in execution, and a slower, more deliberate manner is apparent that you wouldn’t expect from someone signing their own name faked signatures often lack fluidity. ‘It is generally fairly easy to detect both,’ Rooth explains. Either a painting has been created to imitate an artist’s work, together with a mimicked signature, or someone might add a signature to a picture at a later date, in order to deceive, and increase value - sometimes significantly. ‘They tend to fall into one of two camps. ‘Added signatures are a key issue on the market,’ says Tom Rooth, Director of the Victorian & British Impressionist Pictures Department at Christie’s.
0 kommentar(er)
