To refuse to pay for this commission?

That's very frustrating. Do you have it writing 'no signature' and her agreeing to that stipulation? Does she say 'I can do it smaller' etc without agreeing to remove it.

It's important to look at the exact wording of the agreement, hopefully in writing?

Do you have anything in writing?

YANBU. She agreed no big red signature and then did it anyway. Don’t pay her a penny!

How much was it?

I doubt there’s an agreement for painting so OP doesn’t have to pay her at all if there isn’t an agreement.

You were very clear that you didn't want the signature so I think you're well within your rights not to accept the painting as it is not what you commissioned.

Your sister knows exactly what she has done here. Can she paint over the signature?

She needs to accept that even though you are family, she is also a business owner and needs to treat any work from family the same as any other random from the public. You told her you hadn’t chosen her for this because of the stupid signature, she agreed not to do that, and did it anyway. So you say no. Remind her of the terms you agreed, remind her that you were originally going to go with a different artist because of this issue and she assured you this wouldn’t happen so you won’t be paying. Tell her you love her, but this is a business transaction, nothing to do with your relationship and she hasn’t provided what was discussed.

Tell her that you're going to find another artist to retouch the painting. Her ego might then make her do this herself. Then pay, of course.

She sounds breathtakingly arrogant. Why won’t she listen to feedback from her customers!?

I’d refuse to pay unless she erased the signature.

She can’t paint over it - tell her to do that and then she gets paid.

She really is being a dick

You told her you didn't want the signature and she did it anyway. It's stupid she has did what exactly you asked her not to do.
I thought signatures should be small and blend in with painting.

She is going to have to learn that if you go against what your customer has commissioned then you don’t get paid. You’ve nothing in writing but that really doesn’t matter. Don’t pay for it. I can’t stand artists who ignored what their customers ask for after agreeing to do it, then charging them.

She didn’t have to accept the commission if she didn’t want to do it your way. She agreed to your terms, and then did what she wanted anyway. I wouldn’t be paying for the painting as it is: I’d ask her to change it to what I wanted.

You commissioned her to do a piece of artwork, specified that you didn't want her 'signature' signature on it and she agreed. She has gone back on that, and has not delivered the piece you both agreed on. Family or not, I would t pay either u less she is able to fix it.

There’s a difference between having a style as an artist and respecting the wishes of a commissioning client. If having her signature so prominent is such a big deal then that’s a discussion she should have had with you in detail, and she could have declined to do the painting. Your sister doesn’t seem to understand how commissioning works.

You should ask her to do the work again as you want it, or she doesn’t get paid. Otherwise you’ll feel obliged to put a painting on your wall that annoys you and who wants that!

She really needs to learn the hard way so be firm!

Tell her you won't take or pay for the painting in its current condition.

Up to her to decide if she wants to remove the signature and make a sale. If not ,she stays stuck with it and does not get paid.

I am a painter and always sign the back of the canvas. No need for it to ruin the composition.

When I do commissions for people the agreement is I have to produce something that satisfies the buyer and meets the initial brief.

I’m an artist - and I would never do this! I always sign the back or edge of a canvas if that makes sense so can’t be seen face on.

If you’ve asked her not to do and and she’s disregarded your requests I wouldn’t pay her or accept the work. Sister or not, if she doesn’t listen to her clients she’s not going to be very successful!

No definitely don't pay her. She either fixes it by painting over the stupid signature and gets paid or doesn't and you rightly don't give her a penny.

She's running a business if she can't listen to her customers even if they are family members then she's not going to last very long.

You said "no massive signature"; she says the signature is significantly smaller than usual.

Even though you and some of your friends don't like it, it's a feature of her work

I think that you needed to be clearer in the first place - that you wanted no signature at all, so that there was no reasonable inference that not massive was OK

Or you should have chosen an artist who did not sign work in that way - but you chose someone who has it as an intrinsic feature of their work.

Now I'm assuming that you chose her for family reasons. That needs to guide your response. How much fuss will it cause if you simply decline to purchase?

You gave her a brief: a painting with no big signature.

She did not deliver on that brief so she doesn't get paid. End of.

Did you read the OP?

She chose somebody else for this very reason, but her sister cajoled her into going with her instead - securing the commission based on a false promise.

I don't think it would be fair to insist to any artist that they shouldn't add any signature; but most artists realise that it should be discreet and in the corner, so that you can see it if you look for it, but it doesn't distract from the actual painting.

It's quite standard that you put your name to your work but the work itself is the main thing - whatever kind of work it is.

I cant picture an artist doing a massive signature across their work. Have you got a photo of an example?

Is she one of these artists who thinks that people are basically buying into her, rather than her art? That they don't care what the painting really is, but just want all of their friends to know that they have 'a Florence Wilkins' in their home?

She sounds very talented, and able to earn well from her skills; but she will throw it all away if she doesn't listen to what her customers want. There's no point doing the finest horse painting ever, if your customer clearly told you that they wanted a painting of their cat.