A signature is evidence, not proof. Documenting it carefully — without over-claiming — is one of the most useful things an owner can do for a work's record.
Photograph before you interpret
Take a sharp, well-lit close-up of the signature exactly as it appears. Include a wider shot showing where it sits on the work. Only then attempt a reading.
Record the reading honestly
Write down what you can actually see, using square brackets for uncertain letters: "S. Co[h?]en" is a better record than a confident guess. If the signature is illegible, say so — "signed lower right, illegible" is a perfectly respectable catalogue entry.
Look beyond the front
Signatures, inscriptions and dates also appear on the reverse, the stretcher, the frame and old labels. Document all of them, even ones you cannot interpret.
Signed is not attributed
In cataloguing language, "signed" describes a physical feature of the object. It does not by itself establish who made the work. Maison Levit's attribution statuses keep these ideas separate: a work can be signed and still honestly carry an unverified attribution.
When to seek help
If a reading could significantly change what the work is, that is the moment for a professional opinion — a conservator's examination or a specialist's review. An AI analysis can flag that a signature is visible; it cannot verify one.