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Signature of Vincent van Gogh

Vincent van Gogh

The handwritten signature Vincent van Gogh used on his paintings, reading simply 'Vincent'.

This is van Gogh's own signature, the mark he placed on his paintings to identify them as his.

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Black stylized handwritten-style word 'Vincent' on a white background, with a large V, a dot above the i, and rounded lowercase letters drawn in bold strokes.
Signature of Vincent van Gogh, 'Vincent'.

About this source

What it is

This is an image of Vincent van Gogh's signature, which he wrote simply as 'Vincent' rather than using his full name.

Why it matters

Van Gogh chose to sign his work with only his first name, a decision that tells us something about how he wanted to be known as an artist, separate from his family name. Signatures like this help historians confirm which paintings were truly made by him.

Look closer

  • What does choosing to sign with only a first name suggest about how van Gogh saw himself?
  • Why might signatures matter when identifying a painter's work?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Vincent van Gogh on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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