Exclusive copies. The robotic manipulator uses algorithms to create unique paintings

Can a copy have the same value as the original? Of course, it can. Rubens and Titian, Raphael and Perugino, Delacroix and Velasquez will tell you. Artists of different eras copied their predecessors; these works are still on the same value line. If a robot repeats a painting by a famous master and interprets it in its own way, can it be on the same list?

My name is Vladimir Tsimberg, I am the founder of Robohood Inc. We developed a technology that teaches a robotic manipulator to paint real oil and acrylic paintings on any surface. Even though society has developed a strongly negative attitude towards copies, the question "Can a robot make reproductions of famous paintings?" is asked as often as the request not to take work from artists.

Today, anyone can hang a work by Jackson Pollock or Van Gogh in their home by using a printer to reproduce the image. A robot can also make copies, but there is no "print" button on it to make multiple identical copies. Each copy created by the Robotic Artist is unique and has the potential to become an independent work of art. Before we delve into this issue, let's recall the importance of copying in the history of painting and the rise of the cult of authenticity.

Han van Meegeren became world-famous in 1945 as a forger of paintings by 17th-century artists Jan Vermeer and Pieter de Hooch. He passed off his works as rare examples of the great masters and earned $30 million.

This was much later than the time when no one questioned the value of copies. Aristocrats' homes were adorned with countless statues and paintings by famous masters, but they were created without their involvement. Authenticity had no sacred value since forgeries were made from the same materials, with the same level of skill and effort.

In the early Renaissance, copying was more of a duty than a whim. Aspiring artists copied the works of their mentors to improve their mastery, while professionals expressed their respect for great authors through their copies. Imitation - isn't that the sincerest form of flattery?

When we trained our painting robot, we were also inspired by the work of great artists and their styles. The algorithm embedded in the manipulator allows the robotic arm to mimic the technique of applying brushstrokes to the canvas, imitating human gestures. Copying is part of the development of art in general because the search for new solutions and inspiration just always starts with quoting the old.

During the Renaissance, no one hid the sale of copies. They were cheaper and more accessible. The market of fakes was fueled not only by speculators who found an excellent way to make money but also by artists themselves. They made copies of the artworks that sold best. Some workshops had entire teams of artists and apprentices who copied the master's work.

Engraving techniques played a significant role in the creation of copies. This method of making printed images allowed for the production of hundreds of pictures from a single matrix made of wood or metal. It became easier to mass-produce copies. Albrecht Dürer was quick to realize this - prints had significant financial potential due to their widespread distribution and relatively inexpensive production. Dürer's engravings were in great demand in the 16th century. The artist's workshop produced a steady stream of woodcut prints.

During this time, Europe experienced an art boom. More and more people wanted to own paintings, and more and more swindlers were passing off fakes as originals. A vast number of imitators emerged, and their creations found their way into bourgeois collections, disguised as works by great artists. Even the great masters took notice of this trend. Albrecht Dürer was so disturbed by the fact that counterfeiters were not only copying his works but learning to forge his signature, that he took the matter to court. In 1506, he filed a lawsuit against the artist Marcantonio Raimondi, who was making exact copies of his engravings and using Dürer's monogram. The Venetian court, however, did not prohibit the sale of these works but forbade them to be signed.

The technologies of engraving and printing played an important role in reshaping this market. They made it easier to reproduce work, whereas manual copying required immense labor and time. Copying could no longer be excluded from the art market and soon became a part of cultural exchange, especially with Japan.

As Japan entered the Edo period, the country experienced a cultural renaissance. Thanks to the development of printing technologies and their affordability, painting became accessible not only to the upper classes of society but also to the lower classes. The nobility began to demand visual entertainment, which led to a new genre of painting called ukiyo-e. These were colorful Japanese woodblock prints depicting moments in life. The target audience included ordinary townspeople, feudal lords, and provincials, so the prints cost as much as a cup of noodles.

"The Big Wave in Kanagawa" by the Japanese printmaker Katsushika Hokusai remains the most popular ukiyo-e today. It was this colossal wave that inundated Europe with Japanese influence.

Under Japanese influence, the aesthetics of Impressionism and the poster aesthetics of Art Nouveau took shape. Artists created images that were later reproduced in large numbers and displayed in cities. The Industrial Revolution advanced printing technology, and large-format printing presses became fully functional. This made it possible to create stencils for mass reproductions. By the beginning of the 19th century, the streets of Paris were covered with posters.

With the beginning of trade relations with the West, ukiyo-e strongly influenced the work of many European artists - Degas, Gauguin, Lautrec, Pissarro, and Van Gogh. Van Gogh, in particular, completely repainted entire subjects, adding only his personal style.

Van Gogh also made copies of his works. A prime example is "Bedroom in Arles," three interpretations of which are in the collections of three different museums.

These three identical yet different copies of Van Gogh are independent paintings, and their value is not diminished.

I think it's important to note that each copy was made by hand, and in this case, slight differences are inevitable. This effect was intended when the technology for the robot artist was developed. Although it is a mechanism, a machine, it still paints with a hand, albeit a robotic one, so a perfect resemblance is not achievable. It's all about the algorithms. We programmed the technology so that the result is never repeated, even if it is the same reference image.

When artists copy their work, they often change certain details or shades while the composition remains the same. This happens because of different materials, lighting, and mood. When working with a robot, the pigments mix differently each time, affecting the final result. The graphic and color composition will always vary slightly. This is what makes each copy of the Robotic Artist a distinct and unique piece of work.

How many copies were considered the norm, and was there even such a norm? Artists regulated this number by controlling the price of their collection, depending on its demand. It would be interesting now to understand the logic of those early Renaissance engravers - did they destroy prints because they spoiled, or was it a matter of mood? Herr Dürer, as you calculated, how many copies of a single work needed to be made? When was it time to break the plate?

Today, copies in painting have acquired a different, very important significance. "Good artists copy, great artists steal." This quote attributed to Pablo Picasso seems to blur the line where imitation ends and theft begins. In the second half of the 20th century, a new wave of reproductions began. This marked the end of the era of modernism, when it seemed that everything that could be painted had already been painted, and all that was left was to reinterpret past works. Artists, in copying, now not only wanted to mimic other masters but also to give a new interpretation to their themes.

Pop art is a vivid representative of this time. Artists like Roy Lichtenstein, Francis Bacon, and Alain Jacquet copied everything they saw - photographs, comics, and other works. Their goal was to wipe off the historical dust from old compositions and present them in a new, modern light. Andy Warhol turned to everyday objects, which he quoted in his works. Using silk-screen printing, he transitioned to mass reproduction and printing of his works. During his lifetime, he sold images of "Campbell's Soup" for $100 each. He can be considered the Dürer of his time.

The business of reproducing one's work and that of others has taken on a whole new dimension. Pablo Picasso left behind a huge number of signed reproductions that now command a considerable price. I remember seeing a huge Picasso reproduction with his signature in someone's home in 1999. The owners bought it for $300,000 and even had to take out insurance on it.

The great provocateur Salvador Dalí, according to estimates by the New York Times, left behind some 40,000 signed blank canvases, which he later sold for prices ranging from $10 to $40. Dalí could sign about 2,000 sheets in an hour, which were later transformed into "authentic" works that had nothing to do with the artist.

Despite the ambivalent attitude toward copies in the global community, museums often employ official copyists who are allowed to recreate great masterpieces for commercial purposes. Contemporary artists earn money by selling prints, which are editions of their work. These can be reproductions of famous paintings or original works that are released in limited quantities to increase their value. You can buy a piece you like for $20, $50, or $100, and the artist can sell several hundred or even thousands of such prints.

Postmodernism is an era of interpretation, giving new meanings to familiar things, images, and ready-made forms. When a robot reproduces a well-known work, it takes the plot and reinterprets it in its style to reflect the spirit of the times in which we live. Industrial revolutions have always affected the realm of art, and this time is no exception. Humans and technology coexist and create side by side.

Digital technologies have now revolutionized the philosophy of copying. To obtain a Dürer painting, one can save an image from the Internet and print it or order prints from specialized workshops. With the advent of NFTs in art, you can sell your prints countless times over. Perhaps if Van Gogh had access to such technologies, "Bedrooms in Arles" would be more widely distributed. A robot wouldn't replace the author, but it could certainly compensate for the hours spent making copies. Currently, the robot is creating different versions of Van Gogh's self-portrait, blending its style with the strokes of the great artist.

In addition to algorithms that can automatically diversify copies, the Robotic Artist has a wide range of settings that allow the selection of different styles and techniques, palettes and types of colors, and numerous other characteristics to create the perfect painting. We always emphasize that Robohood is an assistant that enables people to create works of art. You may have an excellent sense of graphics and light composition, but you lack the hundreds and thousands of hours that form the skill of working with a brush. We offer all of those human hours in our technology so that anyone can get involved in painting.

And what, now you can sell a dozen Cézannes without leaving your seat, as Hugh Griffith's character dreamed of in the movie “How to Steal a Million?” (1966). The robot is not a printer, but an artistic tool. With its help, you can make copies, but they will be meticulous citations of great masters and old plots in a new way. Your paintings, whether based on great masterpieces or created by contemporary artists, are fully-fledged works of art that tell a modern story and reflect our reality. They can exist independently and harmoniously in the art of the 21st century and have artistic value.

Art is a reflection of our life here and now. The robot and its "vision" of painting correlate with the Industry 4.0 in which we find ourselves.

Read more about why artists paint with a robot.