What is an original print?

We know that buying artwork can seem daunting, especially if you’re a first-time buyer. It can be difficult to know exactly what you’re looking at.

The word ‘print’ has been misused for many years. People often use it when they’re talking about mechanical reproductions made at the touch of a button, mere copies of images in which the artist was not involved. Imagine the posters that you can pick up for a few pounds in a museum gift shop.

At Hidden, when we use the word ‘print’ we mean something very different. We’re talking about works (lithographs, screenprints and etchings) that have been produced under the authorisation, supervision, and very often by the hand of a particular artist. In this context, a print is far more than just a copy of an original. Very often, they ARE the original, and don’t exist in any other format. These prints were produced on a limited scale, for sale either through the artist, a particular gallery or a publisher. They are true works of art, as important and representative a part of an artist’s output as their paintings, drawings, and sculptures.

Artists are drawn to printmaking for a variety of reasons. Some are attracted to the physical process of creating an image, whilst others are drawn to the collaborative nature of working in a print workshop. Others are attracted by the way printmaking can record the different stages of an image’s development. Making prints requires an entirely different thought process to painting and sculpture, and some artists enjoy the challenge that this presents. Printmaking is a tradition that stretches back for centuries, and many artists jump at the chance to test their mettle against the great masters of the past. Finally, printmaking is a way for artists to make their work accessible to a much wider audience.

The greatest artists don’t just use the printmaking process to create iconic images; they advance the medium through innovation. Prints require a close collaboration between an artist and a print studio. The process is complex and time-consuming, and the technicians who work with the artist to create their works are highly skilled. As the fruits of such a labour-intensive process, these prints preserve the emotional and intellectual force of an artist’s vision.

Prints offer the opportunity to own an authentic and iconic piece of an artist’s work at an accessible price point. A Miró lithograph purchased for ￡4,000 is an original artwork in the same way as one of his paintings (the record price for which is ￡23 million). Picasso’s auction record is ￡115 million; for 0.01% of that you can acquire an original, hand-drawn etching or lithograph. Prints and works on paper offer a fabulous value proposition that is hard to beat.

The prints and works on paper that we offer at Hidden allow art lovers to pick up a tangible piece of an artist’s legend for their own walls. By hanging these works at home, you become part of their story, and part of the great lineage of art collectors that have left their indelible mark on art history. Many of the works we sell are also held in international museum collections, so buyers can rest assured that they are in excellent company.

Have any questions? Get in touch with us today. We'd be more than happy to help.