Reproduction of Old Master's paintings

Lilycurly

Anyone know when it becomes legal to make replicas of art from Masters like Vermeer and Waterhouse? Is it 50 years after they are dead? 70?
Thanks!
coffee_black

I'm not sure what the specifics are. I do know that when I was taking courses at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, sometimes we would go into the galleries there and copy some of the paintings. You can learn a lot about technique, color, light, composition, etc. this way. But for us, it was just an excercise.
I think copying is ok as long as you don't try to represent it as the original and try to sell it as such. I think that's where the legalities set in. And a copy, no matter how good it is, is not real art. What makes it art is the work it takes to create the composition..the individual style, technique etc. that is unique to the original artist.
Coffee
tetrapod.sapien

i think it is that way with books and music, but i am not totally sure about fine art prints. because of the nature of collecting art, some families and collectors and museums still own the rights to the images. but much of it is very grey-area.
ts
Lilycurly

Thank you!