DJR Expert Guide Series, Vol. 1087 — How to Attribute Art Without a Signature

Unsigned artwork routinely triggers uncertainty because many collectors equate the absence of a signature with missing legitimacy, incomplete authorship, or diminished value. In professional appraisal and authentication, however, unsigned works are common across historical periods and artistic traditions, and attribution relies on evidence rather than labels. Missteps occur when visual resemblance, hopeful name assignment, or anecdotal claims replace disciplined analysis of materials, technique, and context. Understanding how to attribute art without a signature matters because unsupported assumptions can create legal exposure, distort valuation, undermine market credibility, and permanently damage trust once attribution claims are challenged.

DJR Expert Guide Series, Vol. 1087 gives you a complete, professional-grade, non-destructive framework for attributing unsigned artwork responsibly. Using appraisal-forward observation—no specialized tools, no invasive testing, and no risky handling—you’ll learn the same structured methodologies professionals use to anchor attribution in materials, technique, construction, stylistic context, and comparative evidence rather than speculative name assignment.

Inside this guide, you’ll learn how to:

• Define attribution accurately and distinguish it from authentication or authorship confirmation

• Understand why many artworks were never signed

• Use materials and supports as time-bound attribution evidence

• Evaluate technique, execution, and surface handling as indicators of training and tradition

• Analyze style and composition through contextual, pattern-based comparison

• Assess construction details that anchor chronology and origin

• Apply comparative reference analysis without overreach

• Avoid common attribution errors driven by resemblance or expectation

• Use calibrated attribution language that matches evidence strength

• Document attribution findings with explicit scope, limitations, and exclusions

• Recognize when attribution should remain open or undetermined

• Determine when professional escalation is warranted

Whether you're evaluating fine art, inherited collections, unsigned paintings, or attribution-sensitive works offered for sale, this guide provides the disciplined framework professionals rely on to produce defensible conclusions without speculation. This is the same evidentiary approach used to preserve credibility, market trust, and long-term value when signatures are absent.

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