How to Tell If Art Is a Reproduction
For art collectors, there is nothing more exciting than finding an original work by a favorite artist. There is also nothing more infuriating than finding a piece of art that you've been looking for, only to find out that it's a reproduction. There are a few ways to spot a typical reproduction from the get-go, however, and with any luck, you can immediately tell the difference next time you're looking.
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Things You'll Need
- An original painting
- A reproduction of the same painting
- A magnifying glass
Instructions
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Determine what material the art is painted (or printed) on. If it is cardboard, fiberboard, posterboard or paper (usually gray-colored material that's thin and stiff but lightweight as well), then the work is probably a reproduction.
Most original paintings are done on canvas, wood or masonite panel. They can be done on paper as well, but painters usually stretch the paper over a stretcher to keep it flat while they're painting, which will cause warping around the edges of the paper if taken off the stretcher. If the paper is flat, it's probably a reproduction.
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Hold the picture up to the light. Sometimes, reproductions will use canvas to replicate authenticity, and it can be difficult to tell the difference. When you hold it up to the light and look through the painting from behind, however, check to see how evenly the paint has been applied. On reproductions printed onto the canvas, the "paint" seems to be applied evenly, and there is no overlapping. True paintings, however, will have a base coat laid down with colors painted over it. If there is overlap, then the painting could very well could be an original.
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3
Look closely at the back of the painting for copyright information. If you see a copyright symbol and date in small letters, it's a clear indication that you're looking at a reproduction.
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Use the magnifying glass to examine the differences between the printing pattern on a reproduction versus an original. Reproductions will often be printed with a dot matrix pattern, which uses dots of color, much like you'd see in a magazine or book. You won't see the dot matrix pattern on an original painting, of course--it was created with brushstrokes.
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Check the brushstrokes. Manufacturers sometimes add a clear coat to the top of the printing as well as mechanical brushstrokes, which often don't match the painting. Real brushstrokes follow the flow of the piece; a tree trunk will have a brown stroke going vertically up the trunk, for example. A reproduction, on the other hand, may have a brushstroke going sideways through the trunk and into the hill in the background. A painter can't do this, so if you see it, the painting is clearly a reproduction.
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References
Resources
- Photo Credit painting image by Dmitri MIkitenko from Fotolia.com
