Are Vintage Paint by Number Copyrighted?
The first paintings by number appeared in the middle of the last century. Initially, no one would have thought that this trend would become such a popular form of applied art. Today the number of such paintings numbers in the millions. Vintage drawings are sold freely. There is no copyright on them.
Immediately after its appearance drawing by numbers became one of the most popular entertainments in America. Everyone in the country tried their hand at the art of the time. To date, such works can be purchased at special sites. Also at such sites, you can find unused vintage sets. They are very expensive. But at the same time, there are many connoisseurs of these sets. The exact cost depends on many features.
Often the seller himself determines the value of such paintings. To determine the value buyers look at its year of creation, the condition of the painting, and how it is preserved. Flower compositions can be bought at an affordable price. Their cost varies up to $100. Unpainted paintings are also in demand. Their cost is about the same as that of a finished vintage painting.
Among the current offerings of paintings are works created in the 1960s and 1970s. Such paintings cost about $150. There are cases where such paintings were sold for $1,000 and more. Vintage paintings from that period are considered the most expensive.
The popularity of this trend in America helped it become a separate area of art. The Smithsonian Institution has a special picture gallery where vintage paintings of that time are collected. Paintings from this collection are valued highly. Even art historians talk about it.
The largest collection of vintage paintings belongs to a collector from Massachusetts. In his collection, there are more than 6000 paintings, drawn by the hands of amateurs using the technique of painting by number. The paintings are kept in the museum. It is the largest museum consisting of vintage works from the middle of the last century. All paintings are painted by number technique.
In the beginning, such paintings did not sell well. Demand increased closer to the 1960s. The most popular were paintings with floral motifs and religious themes. After 1965, many companies appeared offering painting by number kits. Most of them copied existing drawings and were sold freely as there was no right of ownership for such works.