Original Painting vs Print: What You Are Actually Buying
Is an original painting better than a print?
An original painting is made once, by hand, and exists as a single physical object. A print is a reproduction of an image, produced in multiples, so many people can own the same picture. Originals cost more because they cannot be remade, and no two are identical. Prints cost less because the hundredth copy costs the same to make as the first.
What makes a painting original
It is the piece the painter actually worked on: real paint, real canvas, one of one. Brush marks, texture and slight variations in the surface are the evidence. If you hold a hand-painted canvas at an angle you can see where the paint sits on top of the weave.
What a print actually is
A print is a copy of an image. It may be printed on paper or on canvas, and it can be made in any number. Good prints are honest reproductions; the important thing is that the seller states clearly which one you are buying.
How to tell them apart
Look at the surface at an angle in raking light. A print has a uniform, flat finish and no raised texture. A painting catches the light unevenly because the paint has thickness, and the surface varies across the piece.
Why originals cost what they cost
An original carries the hours of work and cannot be replaced once sold. That is the whole of it. A print can be run again, which is why it costs a fraction.
Where to see it
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