The Limited Edition Print

Some have tried to convince us of the demise of the limited edition print. However all the inexpensive originals in the world cannot convince me that I would prefer a cheap original of dubious provenance over a good quality limited edition, all things being equal. First and foremost the purchase must be because “I love the piece”. Price is a consideration but if I had the choice of a Damian Hirst print or an original by an un-known artist for the same price I would go for the Hirst limited edition.

Limited Editions offer a way to purchase an image by an artist whose work would otherwise be out of reach financially. Today’s modern printing techniques combining as they do the finest available light-fast inks with superb art paper or fine canvas, give a result that could only have been dreamed of just a few years ago and therefore mean you don’t have to compromise when you buy a limited edition.

Sometimes a limited edition is the only choice if one is ever be to own a piece by say, Tabitha Salmon, Terry Frost, or Damian Hirst. Of course, everyone would like to have an original but when that can cost anything up to between five and ten times as much as a limited edition it is simply unrealistic for most people. The problem with some editions is that the price is too close to that of the original work by a given artist. In these circumstances it is harder to make a case for the purchase of the limited edition.

It has been argued that limited editions are not a good investment. The answer to that is simple. No art, whether original or otherwise, is a guaranteed investment financially but is a great one if you calculate the value of the life-times pleasure it will give.

The limited edition will always find a place in our art collections while there are still artists painting. They offer quality, affordability and just a little democracy. An artist whose work we might only dream of owning could very well be within reach after all.