Why fine art reproduction paintings shouldn’t be signed

When you commission an art reproduction of a painting, your artist is replicating the painting you have asked him to copy and not the signature. To replicate the signature, would in essence make your artwork a forgery since obviously Monet or Picasso did not paint your art reproduction paintings. You can of course ask your artist to sign his signature to the painting that he painted as it is his or her work.

Yes, when you buy a print of a famous painting, the original artist’s signature is on that print. But that’s because the print is a blown up photo of that painting and if the artist’s signature is clearly visible on the painting then of course it will be on the print.  There’s no way anybody could pass off a print as an original painting, but the case is different when it comes to hand painted art reproduction paintings.

In my experience when people ask us to paint a Monet painting (or whatever the painting happens to be) and then asks us to forge the signature it’s usually because they want to pass off the fine art reproduction painting as the original.  There are many cases throughout art history where people have knowingly tried to pass off an art reproduction painting as the “real deal” some of which have actually succeeded. So of course this is why the law frowns upon an artist copying a signature that is not his or hers.

Have an opinion on art reproductions?

I’d love to hear from you! Please leave a comment below or email: anouska@fineartreproductionstudio.com