Signatures of Famous Artists

Autograph signatures, signed letters, and other signed pieces of artists vary in availability, and collector demand varies widely. The most popular area of interest among collectors is the French artists, beginning with early Impressionism in the 19th century and continuing well into the 20th century. Signed letters of Edouard Manet, the originator and leader of Impressionism, are, relative to other artists of the later period, much rarer and more in demand. Claude Monet was very well-known and signed many letters, but he is in great demand by collectors. More likely to be found are signed pieces by Auguste Rodin, the leading sculptor of realism. Pablo Picasso would give his autograph signature to admirers both through the mail and in person, but the international interest in Picasso has created a demand that has made his autograph signature difficult to find. The autographs of Henri Matisse, a leading fauvist painter and sculptor, are much rarer than the autograph material of his contemporaries. The Spanish surrealist Salvador Dali signed his autograph under many different circumstances but his popularity has caused him to not be as common as he might be.

In the field of American art, John James Audubon’s autograph signatures and signed pieces are quite rare. The sculptor Augustus Saint-Gaudens less so, but his signed letters have been collected by an institutional library. John Singer Sargent, who wrote many signed letters of a social nature, has generally been available. The two American Western artists, Frederic Remington and Charles M. Russell, are quite rare in autograph material, as is Albert Bierstadt.

Adams, Ansel

AMERICAN NATURE PHOTOGRAPHER ANSEL ADAMS.  Typewritten Letter Signed, one page, quarto, February 6, 1960. On his name imprinted stationery, to ...
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Cezanne, Paul

French painter. Autograph Letter Signed, Paul Cezanne, November 30, 1896, two pages, octavo. In French. To Emile Solari. "I am ...
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Chagall, Marc

RUSSIAN PAINTER WRITING ABOUT BELLA HIS WIFE AND MUSE Autograph Letter Signed, one full page, quarto, New York, 1945. In ...
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Copley, John Singleton

American artist. Partly-printed Receipt Signed, J.C.Copley. one page, narrow oblong octavo, April, 2, 1787. Together with a printed prospectus of ...
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Currier, Nathaniel

AMERICAN LITHOGRAPHER; CURRIER AND IVES Autograph Document Signed, Nathl Currier, two lines on a sheet of paper measuring 8 inches ...
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Dali, Salvador

Spanish painter; associated with the Ultra-Modern schools, notably Futurism, Constructivism, Cubism, Abstract Irrationalism, and Surrealism. Original pen and ink sketch, ...
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Dali, Salvador

Spanish surrealist painter. Signed Book. "Dali...Dali...Dali..." by Max Gerard. Signed, inscribed and dated on the first page of the text, ...
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Eames, Charles and Ray

CHARLES AND RAY EAMES. Inventive designers of the post World War II period; created the "Eames Chairs." Typewritten Letter Signed ...
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Gainsborough, Thomas

English painter; excelled in portraits and landscapes; painted The Blue Boy. Autograph Document Signed, one page, 4 1/2 inches wide ...
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Gauguin, Paul

PAUL GAUGUIN. French painter. Autograph Letter Signed, full page, octavo, n.d. In French, to Monsieur Dolent. "...Naturally I am pleased ...
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Gauguin, Paul

French painter. Autograph Letter Signed, one page, small octavo, n.d. In bold pencil to the painter Camille Pissarro. "Upon receiving ...
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Houdon, Jean Antoine

French sculptor. Document Signed, Houdon, one page, oblong octavo, Paris, May 26, 1800. The sculptor signs a receipt "attesting that ...
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Ives, James Merritt

American lithographer. Currier & Ives. Autograph Document Signed by Ives as "Currier & Ives," one page, quarto, April 9, 1859 ...
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Laurencin, Marie

MARIE LAURENCIN.  French modernist painter. Autograph Letter Signed, one and a half pages, octavo, undated. To an unnamed lady, concerning ...
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Leger, Ferdnand

French painter; identified with the Ultra-Modern School, especially with the Cubists. Signed Photograph of one of his paintings, inscribed on ...
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Leger, Fernand

FERNAND LEGER.  French painter; identified with the Ultra-modern school, especially the Cubists. Typewritten Letter Signed, one page, oblong octavo, New ...
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Manet, Edouard

EDOUARD MANET.  French Impressionist painter. Autograph Letter Signed, two pages, small octavo, March 20, no year. On imprinted stationery, to ...
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Moran, Thomas

THOMAS MORAN.  American artist, best known for his landscapes and scenes of the American West. Autograph Letter Signed, T. Moran, ...
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Morris, William

WILLIAM MORRIS.  English poet and artist; founded the Arts and Crafts Movement. Printed Proof Sheet Signed, with initials in purple ...
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Morse, Samuel

SAMUEL F. B. MORSE.  American artist and inventor of the telegraph. Sketch, in pencil, one page, irregular small octavo sheet ...
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Nast, Thomas

THOMAS NAST.  American cartoonist whose work was largely responsible for the overthrow of the Tweed Ring in New York. Fourteen ...
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O’Keeffe, Georgia

GEORGIA O'KEEFFE. American painter. Autograph Letter Signed, Georgia O'Keeffe, one page, quarto, Abiquiu, July 25, 1969. To Elizabeth Monroe. With ...
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Redoute, Pierre-Joseph

PIERRE-JOSEPH REDOUTE. French painter of flowers (sometimes called the "Raphael of Flowers") and lithographer. Autograph Letter Signed, full page, quarto, ...
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Renoir, Pierre Auguste

PIERRE AUGUSTE RENOIR. French Impressionist painter. Photograph of one of his paintings of a female nude, standing backward, signed above ...
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Reynolds, Sir Joshua

SIR JOSHUA REYNOLDS. English portrait painter; official painter to George III. Partly printed Document Signed Sir Joshua Reynolds, one page, ...
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Roualt, Georges

GEORGES ROUALT. French Fauvist and Expressionist painter. Autograph Letter Signed, one full page, quarto, August 15, 1938. I am in ...
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Stuart, Gilbert

GILBERT STUART. American painter; known for his distinctively American portrait style. Document Signed, as witness, Gilb: Stuart, one page, quarto, ...
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Thackeray, William Makepeace

English novelist. Pen and ink sketches, unsigned, two pages, octavo, [n.d.]. William Makepeace Thackeray has drawn three profile heads of ...
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Toulouse-Lautrec, Henry de

Autograph Letter Signed, HT Lautrec, one and a half pages, small quarto, [1894]. In French, to the publisher and lithographer ...
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Turner, J M W

English landscape painter. Autograph Letter Signed, J M W Turner, one full page, quarto, December 27, 1845. To Hawkesworth. "Thanks ...
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Vigee-Lebrun, Marie Anne Élisabeth

Portrait painter to Queen Marie Antoinette. Third Person Letter, Marie Anne Vigee-Lebrun, one page, octavo, October 28, [1837]. In French ...
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Whistler, James McNeill

American artist. Superb sepia tone albumen photograph of James Whistler's work in White III, Signed Whistler and with his butterfly ...
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