17th century signatures - an innovative art historical research project Research
As indicated by our research project on ‘Staffage’ – see Our Projects – Bazuin & de Blécourt favours research topics that have hardly been previously targeted by scholars, are intellectually challenging and demand a committed co-operation between various specialisms within art history as well as with external specialists, such as chemists and statisticians. Our research project on 17th signatures by Dutch and Flemish painters will be a prime example of such a research project. Hypothesis
Our hypothesis is that the observed variety in signature categories is not a result of sheer indifference by the painter regarding the choice for a certain signature, but that this choice is made on the basis of socio-economic rationales. Preliminary research has indicated that different painters have different signature customs and that many painters have used various signature categories during their careers. Generally, three categories of signatures can be distinguished, each of the categories may or my not include a date: First and last name (e.g. ‘Bonaventura.Peeters’); initial(s) and last name (‘B. Peeters’) and a monogram (B.P.). Purpose
It is the purpose of this research project to discover the patterns in placing signatures, and to provide explanations for these patterns. These explanations will yield new insights in the significance and the meaning of the artist’s signature in the 17th century market for paintings. Examples of these explanations could be for instance: workshop practices (e.g. the extent to which master and assistant worked together on the same painting); targeted clients, commissioned or ‘for the market’, local or export product, and the strictness of the painters’ guild regulations. Teamwork
The innovative character of our research project is not only evidenced by the multi-disciplinairy composition of our the research team but also by the envisaged group of project sponsors. We are aiming for scholars, curators, private collectors and dealers in Old Master paintings to join forces to arrange financial sources to fund this appealing art historical project. An indepth knowledge of the signature customs of 17th century painters will clearly not only be beneficial to the academic world but also to Old Master dealers and collectors. Feel free to contact us if you would like to receive more information on this research project. | 
