Prints For The Masses

Paintings by famous artists have been selling for millions at recent auctions, leaving most people out of the fine art loop. There is a more affordable option for those who want these paintings in their home, but there are a few things art lovers need to know before they pull out their credit card.

The reason? Not everything is what it appears to be in the art world.

The alternative for people who don't want to re-mortgage their home is most likely a reproduction of the original work. These are generally high-quality photographs of an original like a ‘Water Lilies’ painting by Monet or Van Gogh’s ‘Starry Night’.

Companies buy the rights to reproduce the originals, and print thousands of copies to sell to the public. These prints can be purchased for $20-50 at a local print store; there's no doubt they're reproductions.

These aren't the only type of prints available these days, however.

Many late-twentieth century artists – like Andy Warhol, for example – work in mediums like silk screening or block printing that allow them to hand-make several copies of a work. These copies are referred to as ‘lithographs’. They are hand-signed and numbered by the artist.

Each lithograph is considered an original, and is sold for several hundred to several thousand dollars. They are valuable because the artist produces a limited number of copies, and destroys the template once the run of prints has been completed.

Problems arise for collectors when artists mix the two concepts – photo reproductions and signed works – together.

In recent years, artists have been offering signed reproductions to the public. They have had their original work photographed and reproduced like less-expensive prints, but they have also been signing and numbering these reproductions.

One of the artists who is perhaps best known for signed reproductions is wildlife painter Robert Bateman. Bateman’s original paintings sell for tens of thousands of dollars, putting them out of reach for most people.

In an attempt to bring art to the masses, Bateman produces hand-signed reproductions of these paintings. Unlike the prints you can pick up at the local poster gallery, these reproductions don’t fall into the $25-50 price range. They often cost several hundred dollars, and are part of an extensive run of prints.

There is some confusion surrounding these prints. Buyers often wonder what they are paying for, but also why they are paying as much as they do.

In a story originally broadcast on the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation program MarketPlace in March 1997, Bateman’s response to this issue was to argue that that the purchaser is buying a limited edition reproduction, rather than a mass-produced reproduction.

'Limited edition' means the prints are signed and numbered to ensure the quality and marketing of the reproductions is carried out according to Bateman’s wishes.

Bateman further defends the practice by suggesting that the public is aware they are not purchasing an original, nor are they buying his autograph. They are paying more for these prints because they are limited editions.

Although the practice of signing reproductions isn't necessarily unethical, it has the potential to mislead the average consumer. People may believe their signed reproductions are worth more than they actually are, because they are signed.

The value of any print, ultimately, is a combination of popular demand – whether anyone wants to buy it – and the exclusivity of that print – whether there is one or a thousand. Regardless, professional art appraisers generally concur that limited edition reproductions are not a particularly good investment.

That isn't to say that you shouldn't buy prints, particularly if you can't afford an original Monet. You should, however, know what you're buying – a photo reproduction, a limited edition reproduction, or an original work. This will ultimately determine the current worth, and future value, of the print.

By Stuart Kernaghan