The search feature allows you to perform a binary search on all artist names, nationality, as well as any additional artist information. To search for monograms, please see the section below titled "Monogram and Signature Search."
You may enter several search words. Results with any of the search words present will be searched and sorted by relevance. You also prefix words with a minus character to exclude results containing this word. For example, if you wanted to search for artists with the name Smith but not the first name John, you would type: "smith -john".
You can also enter partial surnames by typing in at least two letters from the beginning of the last name. For example, if you type in "Abb", the search will yield all artist surnames which begin with "ABB" such as ABBOTT, ABBEY, etc.
You may also search by time period. To see all artists named Bob who were alive during the 16th century, you could type: "Bob 16c". You can also search by nationality. If you knew Bob was French you could search: "Bob French 16c". Furthermore, if you knew Bob's death and birth years, you can enter those too: "Bob French 1622 1684".
In some cases you may get search results that say "Alternative Name". These are pseudonyms that are not the artist's real name and clicking through such links is considered a Reverse Lookup.
You may search monogram signatures by checking the 'Search Monograms-only' check-box. This will allow you to enter the letters describing how the monogram is read. For instance, if you see 'JT' on a painting, you would type 'JT' into the search box. In cases where letters are conjoined and could be interpreted in different ways, make your best guess as to the correct letter ordering. If there is a date in the monogram, for example 'JT 1984', do not include the date in your search.
If your search yields no results, you could try rearranging the letters, or entering other letters that look similar. If all of the above fail, you can always browse the monogram section.
Artists' Signatures