What is an original artwork?

When it comes to artworks, originals are often mentioned. The originals of the most famous paintings or sculptures are kept in museums and are an important element of the cultural heritage of the world or a given country. What exactly is an original artwork? What distinguishes it from copies, reproductions and counterfeits?

Original artwork - what characterizes it?

The original work of art is nothing more than the first, unfinished artwork of a given artist. It is a work that was created by him personally as the first copy, even when the artist himself later makes replicas of his painting, sculpture or drawing. The original is considered the most valuable as the copies and reproductions are never identical. It is impossible to use exactly the same wood, canvas and paints and make the same brush strokes, even when you have extensive knowledge of art and access to many materials. The same is true of the originality of other works of art: sculptures, jewelry, drawings or ceramics. Only the original will look exactly like the original intention of the author.

Original artworks are most valuable to collectors and investors. The original makes the greatest profit, as it is most often the only copy of the artwork made by the author himself. Even when the artist himself has made replicas of his painting or drawing, only the original is considered truly valuable, especially when it comes to investing or creating museum collections.

Copies, reproductions and counterfeit artworks

Artworks are often copied by other authors. The copy is an exact reproduction of the artwork, maintaining all the details and scale of the painting, sculpture, etc. At the same time, the author of the copy does not imitate the original in order to mislead the recipient that he is dealing with the original. The recipient of the artwork should be sure that he or she admires the copy.

The replicas, in turn, are made by the original author himself or by other artists, but in the author's studio. The market value of the replicas is higher than the copies, but lower than the original itself. In practice, replicas were usually made at the request of customers who wanted to acquire a specific artwork, but this was already purchased by another buyer.

A counterfeit, on the other hand, is a deliberate imitation of the original work while maintaining the techniques and materials used to make the original. Counterfeits are often created to mislead buyers that they are dealing with an original artwork.