Many painters are signing their monograms or names on painting. What is it representing? Simply it can be mean that they are proving the artwork value with their name.
Pablo Picasso
Bowl of Fruit, Violin and Bottle 1914 Pablo Picasso 1881-1973 Lent by the National Gallery 1997 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/L01895Bust of a Woman 1909 Pablo Picasso 1881-1973 Purchased 1949 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/N05915Girl in a Chemise c.1905 Pablo Picasso 1881-1973 Bequeathed by C. Frank Stoop 1933 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/N04720Portrait of a Woman after Cranach the Younger 1958 Pablo Picasso 1881-1973 Bequeathed by Elly Kahnweiler 1991 to form part of the gift of Gustav and Elly Kahnweiler, accessioned 1994 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/P11368The Three Dancers 1925 Pablo Picasso 1881-1973 Purchased with a special Grant-in-Aid and the Florence Fox Bequest with assistance from the Friends of the Tate Gallery and the Contemporary Art Society 1965 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/T00729Bust of a Woman 1944 Pablo Picasso 1881-1973 Lent from a private collection 2011 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/L03007Nude Woman with Necklace 1968 Pablo Picasso 1881-1973 Purchased 1983 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/T03670Seated Woman in a Chemise 1923 Pablo Picasso 1881-1973 Bequeathed by C. Frank Stoop 1933 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/N04719Weeping Woman 1937 Pablo Picasso 1881-1973 Accepted by HM Government in lieu of tax with additional payment (Grant-in-Aid) made with assistance from the National Heritage Memorial Fund, the Art Fund and the Friends of the Tate Gallery 1987 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/T05010Goat’s Skull, Bottle and Candle 1952 Pablo Picasso 1881-1973 Purchased 1957 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/T00145The Studio 1955 Pablo Picasso 1881-1973 Presented by Gustav and Elly Kahnweiler 1974, accessioned 1994 http://www.tate.org.uk/art/work/T06802
EUTHYKARTIDE ̄SMANETHEKEHONAHSIOSPOIESAS Euthykartides the Naxian dedicated me, having made [me]
The only things we know about Euthykartides are what the toes, the base, and its inscription – probably the earliest Greek sculptor’s signature, certainly the earliest complete one – tell us. The man was from Naxos; he dedicated (the word is anetheke∗) a statue that he carved in a sanctuary that (largely because of Naxian investment) was fast becoming one of the most important in Greece.
What is the meaning of signature? The earliest Greek signature was not on present evidence an “individual artistic genius” who used his sculptures self-consciously to “express himself” or his “inner vision” or his “originality.” And his statue was probably completely conventional, even if the convention itself was in its infancy: (1)
The first signature could for the dedication his name to the god or promoting his name to buyers, or even he was proud of his skill. However, regardless of his purpose, his name replaced himself to the carved another sculpture figure. Follow the passed time, we cannot guess who it is – at least we know he is from Naxos – cannot guess how he looked like, but the image of carved shadow replaced his own image as Euthykartides.
Hurwit, J. (n.d.). Artists and signatures in ancient Greece. 1st ed. New York: Cambridge University Press.
