In the past, artists would sometimes sign their works in an interesting way. For example, Bolognese painter Bartolomeo Passerotti (1529-1592) would paint a chubby little sparrow in plain sight in his paintings (his surname means “sparrow”), whereas sculptor Giacomo Serpotta (1656-1732), a Palermo native, would similarly adorn his statues with the image of a lizard, or “sirpuzza” in Sicilian. 

There are two ways to experience these mannerisms: one is to travel the world, since (thanks to the ease with which paintings can be transported) Passerotti’s works have spread to museums in several countries throughout the world. As for Serpotta, however, it’s much simpler: practically all of his sculptures can be found in Palermo, spectacularly mounted on the walls of churches and oratories throughout the city center.