What does it mean when a fine art print is described as “stamp signed”?

Stamp signed for a graphic work of art means that a stamp (usually rubber) was created based on an artist’s actual signature and that the stamp was used to apply the signature to the work. Stamp signatures can be authorized by the living artist or, in some cases, by the estate of a deceased artist.

For a living artist, a stamp signature is typically used for a print with a larger edition size so the artist does not need to sign each impression. An example of this use is a soft-ground etching of 400-500 impressions by Renoir called The Dance in the Country.

Many artists in the late 19th and early 20th centuries used a monogram stamp instead of a signature stamp. Examples of this use are: (1) a lithograph called Aux Varietes by Toulouse-Lautrec (which also has a monogram in the plate), and (2) an etching by James Jacques Tissot called Renee Feinting (which also has a “J J Tissot” in the plate).

An example of a posthumous signature stamp is the estate-authorized signature stamp on this etching by Picasso titled Series 156 Plate 107. The etching plate was created prior to Picasso’s death, but the impressions were pulled and stamped after he was deceased.