Lena Rivera
The verso, or the back of a painting, can contain markings and details that reveal its history, authenticity, and value. Signatures, for instance, are often placed on the verso to signify the artist's authorship and the completion of the work. Artists' signatures, which first appeared in the 15th century, have become a form of branding, helping future generations identify the creator and distinguishing the work from imitators. In addition to signatures, other markings on the verso, such as inventory numbers, auction records, and even the brand of the city where the painting was created, can provide valuable insights into the history and provenance of the artwork. These markings are not just of academic interest but can also significantly impact the value of a painting.
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What You'll Learn
- Signatures: Artists' signatures are a form of branding, signifying completion, and can be placed on the front or back of a painting
- Mark-making tools: Painters use tools like pencils, pens, brushes, palette knives, and charcoal to create marks, with some using experimental tools like twigs and feathers
- Expression and emotion: Artists use mark-making to express their feelings and emotions towards their subjects, with some marks conveying an emotive quality
- History and provenance: Details on the back of a painting, including markings, can enhance its value by revealing its history, such as the date it was purchased and the artist who painted it
- Inventories and auctions: Organisations like Christie's mark the back of pictures with inventory numbers or stickers with barcodes to track sales details such as date, location, seller, and price
Signatures: Artists' signatures are a form of branding, signifying completion, and can be placed on the front or back of a painting
Artists' signatures are a form of branding and a way to signify completion. They can be placed on the front or back of a painting. Signatures first started appearing on artworks around the 15th century, and while they are most commonly placed on the front, contemporary artists often sign their works on the reverse.
An artist's signature is a stamp of authenticity, proving who made the work and helping to distinguish it from imitators. Signatures can be an artist's full name, initials, or surname, and they can be decorative or discreet. The placement and style of the signature should complement the artwork without distracting from it.
In addition to signatures, other markings on the back of a painting can enhance its value and reveal its history. These can include auction records, provenance, and notes from the artist. In the past, certain marks were required by guilds or other organisations. For example, from 1617, the Antwerp Joiners' Guild required its members to "punch [their] mark" on frames and panels.
Signatures are an important aspect of an artist's brand and help to make their work stand out and become recognisable. They are a way for artists to take ownership of their work and ensure that their authorship is known for future generations.
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Mark-making tools: Painters use tools like pencils, pens, brushes, palette knives, and charcoal to create marks, with some using experimental tools like twigs and feathers
Mark-making is an essential aspect of painting, and artists use a variety of tools to create unique marks and textures. While some painters prefer traditional tools like pencils, pens, brushes, and charcoal, others experiment with unconventional tools such as twigs, feathers, and found objects from their environment. This experimental approach adds a layer of creativity and individuality to the artwork.
Pencils, Pens, and Brushes
The most basic mark-making tools, such as pencils, pens, and brushes, offer a wide range of mark-making possibilities. For instance, pencils can be used for sketching, shading, and creating intricate lines, while pens can vary from flexible felt tips to fine-liners for precise details. Brushes also come in various shapes and sizes, allowing artists to play with different paint consistencies and create thick or thin brushstrokes.
Palette Knives and Other Tools
Palette knives are commonly used for mixing paints, but they can also be employed as mark-making tools. They are excellent for creating textured effects and adding paint to a canvas. Similarly, silicone spatulas and wedges are gaining popularity among artists for their ability to mix paint and create interesting gestural marks.
Experimental Tools
Some painters push the boundaries of mark-making by using unconventional tools. For example, twigs and feathers can create unique, one-of-a-kind marks due to their natural variations. Found objects such as leaves, flowers, fruits, and vegetables can be used as stamps or dipped in paint to create organic shapes and textures. Even everyday items like drinking straws, plastic cards, and cotton swabs can be transformed into mark-making tools, adding interesting patterns and textures to a painting.
Digital and Mixed Media
In the digital realm, artists use picture editing tools and computer software to create marks and generate abstract shapes and patterns. Digital mark-making allows for experimentation with sound and the creation of entirely new forms of artwork. Additionally, mixed media artists combine traditional and unconventional tools, using various materials and techniques to achieve unique effects.
The choice of mark-making tools is a personal decision for each artist, and the possibilities are endless. By exploring different tools and experimenting with mark-making techniques, painters can develop their unique style and form of expression.
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Expression and emotion: Artists use mark-making to express their feelings and emotions towards their subjects, with some marks conveying an emotive quality
Mark-making is a vital aspect of artistic expression, with artists using various techniques to convey their feelings and emotions towards their subjects. This process involves the physical act of painting, drawing, or creating marks on a surface, and it holds significant importance in the art world. Artists like Vincent van Gogh, for instance, are renowned for their bold, expressive brushstrokes and vivid use of colour, which convey an emotive quality.
The emotional state of an artist can greatly influence their mark-making process. For example, Jean Fautrier's sculpture "Large Tragic Head" features vicious clawed and battered marks that directly communicate the horror and fear he experienced during World War II. Similarly, the energy and mindset of an artist during the creative process can affect the application of marks and the overall mood of the artwork. This is evident when comparing the spontaneous and energetic nature of Vianna Szabo's watercolour experiment to a more carefully planned pastel piece.
Some artists develop a unique style of mark-making that becomes their "handwriting". Cy Twombly, for instance, created a series of paintings based on the seasons, using his distinct mark-making style to express his personal feelings about each season. Yayoi Kusama, famous for her repeated dot patterns, is another artist who uses systematic mark-making to immerse viewers in her obsessive vision of endless dots.
The act of mark-making can also be influenced by the artist's surroundings and environment. Mark Bradford, for example, creates richly textured surfaces in his paintings by using materials he finds in his urban environment, such as ripped advertising posters. Similarly, Jean Dubuffet was inspired by the marks and images of graffiti scratched onto walls, incorporating similar elements into his paintings.
Mark-making techniques vary widely and are often experimental. Action painters like Jackson Pollock and Niki de Saint Phalle are known for their improvised techniques, such as dripping and splashing paint or shooting at bags of paint with a gun to create explosive marks. Other artists, like Eva Hesse, create serene drawings through systematic mark-making, such as filling in the squares of graph paper with tiny marks. These diverse approaches to mark-making allow artists to express their emotions and connect with their subjects in unique ways.
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History and provenance: Details on the back of a painting, including markings, can enhance its value by revealing its history, such as the date it was purchased and the artist who painted it
The verso, or the back of a painting, can contain markings and labels that provide valuable insights into its history and provenance, enhancing its value and significance. These markings can include signatures, dates, stamps, and notes from the artist, offering crucial information about the work's creation and ownership.
Signatures are among the most important markings on the verso. Artists began signing their works around the 15th century, and while signatures are typically found on the front, modern artists often sign on the reverse. Specialists can reference the artist's catalogue raisonné to verify the signature and, in some cases, estimate the creation date based on the evolution of the signature.
In addition to signatures, dates on the verso can provide valuable information. For instance, comparing the date when materials were purchased with the completion date can indicate how long the artist took to create the work. Stamps and labels from suppliers can also help establish the time and place of a work's creation, as they may contain business names and addresses.
The verso may also bear the brand or mark of a specific city or guild. For example, the back of Pieter Brueghel II's "The Outdoor Wedding Dance" displays the brand of the city of Antwerp: a pair of hands above a castle. This mark dates from 1617 and was mandated by the Antwerp Joiners' Guild, requiring joiners to punch their mark on frames and panels.
Furthermore, notes and statements from the artist on the verso can offer insights into their inspiration, process, or the meaning behind the artwork. These personal markings can be invaluable for understanding the artist's intentions and the context in which the work was created.
To preserve the information on the verso for future generations, proper labeling practices are essential. The use of archival-quality pens or pencils is recommended to ensure longevity and prevent fading or bleeding. Creating separate archival labels adhered to the stretcher bar or panel can be a preferred option to avoid direct marking on the canvas or delicate surfaces. Consistency in formatting and maintaining a digital database with photographs and written records can also aid in the preservation and accessibility of this valuable information.
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Inventories and auctions: Organisations like Christie's mark the back of pictures with inventory numbers or stickers with barcodes to track sales details such as date, location, seller, and price
Organisations like Christie's have been marking the back of pictures with inventory numbers since the early 19th century. Initially, these numbers were stencilled in black ink, while other auction houses used chalk. Today, a sticker with a barcode is more commonly applied. These inventory numbers are used to track sales details such as the date, location, seller, and price of the sale. This information is stored in the auction house's archives, which in the case of Christie's, dates back over 250 years.
These inventory markings are just one of many types of markings that can be found on the back of a painting. For instance, artists' signatures are commonly found on the back of a picture, especially in more recent times. Signatures can be checked against the artist's catalogue raisonné, and the evolution of a signature over time can even be used to narrow down the date of a work.
The back of a painting may also bear the brand of the city in which it was created. For example, the mark of the city of Antwerp is a pair of hands above a castle, which dates back to 1617. This mark was required by the Antwerp Joiners' Guild, which stated that "every joiner is from now on obliged to punch his mark on frames and panels made by him, on pain of a fine of three guilders".
Other markings on the back of a painting can include notes from the artist, gallery labels, and the artist's address. All of these details found on the 'verso' of a painting can significantly enhance its value. Therefore, it is important to consider the back of a picture when evaluating its worth, as it can reveal information about its history, provenance, and auction record.
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Frequently asked questions
Marks on a painting are called 'mark making' and they are used by artists to express their feelings or emotions.
Marks are used to create shapes, textures, and patterns, adding interest to a painting and helping the viewer engage with the artwork.
Traditional tools used to make marks include pencils, pens, brushes, palette knives, and charcoal. Experimental tools such as twigs, feathers, and handmade brushes can also be used.
An artist's signature is a form of branding and a way to mark the authorship of a work. It helps future generations identify the creator of the work and adds a stamp of authenticity.
Artists' signatures are most commonly found on the front of the painting, but in recent times they have often been applied to the reverse.
