Original or Reproduction: What Really Makes the Difference?

Today you can find “paintings” everywhere: in home decor stores, online, sometimes for the price of a cushion. So of course, one question often comes up: why buy an original artwork, when a nice reproduction already looks lovely on the wall?

A reproduction is not a bad thing

Let me say it straight away: I have nothing against reproductions! A beautiful print, an exhibition poster, a postcard you have kept for years… they make you feel good, they bring colour, and they let you live with an image you love.

What an original has on top

An original canvas is the object the artist actually touched. Every brushstroke, every pass of the palette knife, every hesitation is there, for real.

First, there is the texture. On some of my canvases, like La Vie en Gold, there are reliefs, little craters, layers of thickness. In the morning light or the evening light, the canvas changes. No print can give you that.

Then there are the colours. On a screen or on paper, they always look a little different. In real life, they vibrate in another way.

And then there is the fact that it is unique. An original exists only once. The canvas you hang at home, nobody else will have it.

How can you recognise an original?

A few simple clues:

• look at the surface up close: you can see the marks of the brush or the knife, the thickness, the little irregularities;
• the signature is painted by hand, not printed;
• the artist gives you a certificate of authenticity;
• and above all, don't hesitate to ask the artist questions! It is often the nicest part.

And at my place?

All the canvases you see on my website are originals, one of a kind. Each one is signed on the side and on the back, protected with varnish, and comes with a certificate of authenticity.

And for those who would like to start a small collection, there are also small original formats. They are real artworks, not copies, just smaller.

The best thing is to come and see

A canvas is meant to be seen for real. That is why I love opening the doors of my studio so much. On Saturday 5 December, I am holding an Open House in Ericeira: you will be able to see the canvases up close, admire the texture and ask me all your questions.

And you?

Do you have an original at home, even a tiny one? Or rather reproductions you love? What matters most to you when you choose an artwork? Tell me on WhatsApp, I would love to read you.

Get my next reflections by email

With all my friendship,

Lenon B

Contemporary painter, Ericeira, Portugal