VAN GOGH SIGNATURES
AND HANDWRITING
FORENSIC EXAMINATIONS

Sometimes van Gogh signed his paintings on the left-hand side of the canvas. In the signature below, van Gogh put more pressure on the first stroke of the letter “V” as compared to the other letters in his name.

(Detail) Vincent van Gogh, Impasse des Deux Frères (Paris, 1887) Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.

Vincent van Gogh, Impasse des Deux Frères (Paris, 1887) oil on canvas, 25 x 65,5 cm, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.

At times, van Gogh dated his pieces. He typically used only the last two numbers of the date, such as in the example below. The first owner of Sunflowers was Paul Gauguin.

(Detail) Vincent van Gogh, Sunflowers (1887) Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Vincent van Gogh, Sunflowers (1887) oil on canvas, 42 x 61 cm, Size 12 paysage canvas, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

Less frequently, van Gogh inscribed his paintings. The one below was inscribed “to my friend Lucien Pissarro” and was exchanged with a fellow painter. It is inscribed and signed, but not dated.

(Detail) Vincent van Gogh, Basket of Apples (Paris, 1887) Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo.

Vincent van Gogh, Basket of Apples (Paris, 1887) oil on canvas, 50 x 61 cm, Size 12 figure canvas, Kröller-Müller Museum, Otterlo.

Occasionally, van Gogh put his signature on an object in a painting, rather than using a free-standing signature. In Self-Portrait as a Painter the signature is on the stretcher of the painting within the painting. Here, van Gogh dramatically underlined his name and included a date. Although van Gogh dated the painting to 1888, art historians believe van Gogh worked on it from December 1887 to February 1888.

(Detail) Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait as a Painter (December 1887 – January 1888) Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.

Vincent van Gogh, Self-Portrait as a Painter (December 1887 – January 1888) oil on canvas, 65,1 x 50 cm, Size 15 paysage canvas, Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.

Van Gogh was a prolific letter-writer. There are over eight hundred handwritten van Gogh letters, addressed mostly to his brother Theo. These letters give us many examples of his writing in addition to the signatures he put on his paintings. We compare the signature on a client’s artwork with the handwriting in these letters.

Page of a letter by Vincent van Gogh to his brother Theo,
written in Arles, France on Tuesday, June 12, 1888.
Van Gogh Museum, Amsterdam.

If you own a painting, drawing or letter by Vincent van Gogh, checking the signature or handwriting is important. We offer both informal and forensic examinations. They are done from photographs and are totally reliable. Your van Gogh stays with you.