Art collecting is a big passion for a lot of people, but navigating the art merchandise world is a big hassle for most of its patrons.
There is always the question of whether the piece is of proper quality, whether it might be forged, and the eternal rat race over who will claim the best piece first.
For all these reasons and more, online marketplaces which specialize in prints and reproductions, rather than cumbersome originals, are booming lately.
Platforms like Society6 and others of that kind offer affordable, aesthetically pleasing solutions to art lovers who are on a budget or short of patience.
“But why would I want a print instead of an original painting?”, you might ask. Well, there are actually a few very compelling reasons.
There is more of a freedom of selection
Shopping for original pieces of art, whether they are paintings, carvings, sculptures, or anything else, always has the one inevitable result: one person gets their hands on the purchase, and everybody else ends up disappointed and frustrated.
Original art is most easily found in various galleries. However, just because it is the original copy does not mean it is a good piece.
The best art is expensive as hell, and the vast majority of galleries will not keep good art in stock, let alone on blatant display.
This is mostly due to safety concerns. So you already have high chances of missing out on the good stuff.
On the other hand, consider how shopping for prints looks. They are widely available from numerous vendors, both online and in real life.
Moreover, they will include all imaginable categories of artists.
You can find famous historical geniuses, regional, state-wide or country-wide acknowledged creators, and even local underground talents who are just starting to emerge in the limelight.
In other words, you have great chances of finding exactly what you are looking for, and no need to fear that somebody will snatch it away forever right under your nose.
Check out this link for some ideas on where to search for art prints online.
You get to avoid the mediocre pieces
It is the sad truth that recent art is far from great. In fact, recent art is fairly unremarkable in any respect, except for their marketing.
Do you really want to pay thousands or millions for something that you, yourself, could make with half a handful of modern art tutorials?
For that amount of money, you could have high-quality reproductions of several globally acknowledged masterpieces.
Prints from online are much more budget friendly
Why not go easy on your bank account when you have the opportunity?
As we already mentioned, buying original artwork, especially something by a widely recognized professional artist, can blow a hole in your budget the size of a supernova.
Why should you have to choose between the art you love and the funds you need?
If you need artwork for personal purposes, e.g. decorating a home or office space, prints are more than enough.
Casual commitment does it. Just get a reproduction of sufficient quality, and no sane person will judge you for having your Rembrandt on framed paper.
Maintenance is a lot easier
Owning “real art” is definitely a major pride point when people visit, but it is also a major hassle when you consider it on a day to day level. Forget TLC, your piece will be in constant intensive care.
You will need to keep the colors from fading, prevent damage to the canvas and the frame.
Dust, temperature, mites, humidity etc. are a constant threat to traditional paintings.
You can find some tips for keeping your paintings clean at this web page: https://www.wikihow.com/Clean-a-Painting
Art thieves are not a legit concern for you
Who can sleep soundly when there is a fortune hanging right there on their wall?
Even if you put it in a heavy frame on purpose, a canvas can be cut out of it.
It would sell for a high price regardless of the damage.
Imagine: not only sold off, but mangled to boot! With a humble print, you can sleep anxiety-free. No criminal will look at it twice
