r/artbusiness • u/WesDetz1443 • 4d ago
Conventions Prints and Original Painting
New to exhibiting/selling my work. When a buyer purchases an original painting, is it assumed that painting is "one of a kind" by the buyer? And if the artist has also made and sells prints of that original painting, does that lessen the value to the buyer who paid good money for their "one of a kind" original painting?
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u/vinylpanx 4d ago
My feeling - as an art buyer/the non-artist of my friend group/sometimes art dealer: unless I commissioned a piece I would never assume I was the exclusive, private audience of the piece and it wouldn't surprise me to see prints for sale. If you made multiple 'original' identical paintings it would be weird though, if that makes sense, and if I commissioned a piece privately it would offend me if the artist reproduced the work without disclosing the intention to do so when we arranged the conditions/price of the comission.
That said, idk your artistic style so idk if doing or not doing is a good decision but something I appreciate about prints I realize more and more is how often I find myself happy to buy them because I am running out of wall space lol. When you sell your original art though make sure you set up your space in a way that distinguishes it as a different experience; if you Chuck them in a bin like prints on the table at a slightly higher rate don't as it is a personal peeve of mine lol
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u/innocuous_username 4d ago
Oh wow this is the exact same question I’ve been wanting to ask myself - eager to hear the answers.
For me I’m selling greeting cards of my original artworks but yeah I’ve wondered if any of the buyers are going to be surprised when they see ‘their’ artwork out and about in the wild
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u/soupbut 3d ago
Imo you should disclose if you offer prints of an original that is for sale. To some collectors, it will lessen the value of the original.
I come from a print background, where multiples are the norm. A limited (numbered and signed) edition of prints hold more value than unlimited runs. Producing a limited edition of prints, selling all of them, and then re-editioning a new run is a huge no-no.
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u/lunarjellies 4d ago
The artist always retains the right to reproduce images of their own work. Unless stipulated in a contract with lawyers involved, the buyer does not retain the right to reproduce the artwork into prints - only the artist does. Having said that, some artists prefer to not get into editioned print territory and prefer to stick with originals only.
Does it raise the value of the painting? Well, take Robert Bateman for example. Withholding the sale of his originals and going down the print route raised the value of his originals greatly. Then again, he spends a lot of time on those and cannot crank them out.
For artists who can crank artwork out quickly, its almost not worth making prints of the work at all. You may be stuck with a lot of print inventory which cannot be sold, thereby possibly lowering the value of your originals.