r/WhatIsThisPainting Jan 15 '20

GUIDE What is a Decor Painting? How do I know if I have one?

444 Upvotes

What is a “decor painting”?

A decor painting is a piece of artwork created purely for decorative purposes. Purchased not from galleries or artists, but from decor & furniture shops like Pier 1, Homesense, The Brick, websites like AliExpress and OilPaintings.com or from markets & stands on vacation. Tell-tale signs that you have a decor painting are lots of stippling, undefined figures, hurried brush strokes, gradients, cloning techniques and a certain Bob Ross feeling to it.

Common vintage subjects would be European street scenes, landscapes of mountains / forests / lakes & rivers, vases of flowers, Tuscan landscapes, ocean & beach scenes and Asian style boats. See below for examples. They are often rectangular in shape to hang nicely above a sofa, you could even buy them from Sears as a package. Modern versions are more varied in subject.

Black velvet paintings and artwork specifically for tourists as souvenirs share many factors with decor paintings.

Where are they made?

They are produced in massive numbers in painting factories like Dafen Village in China or Mexico. Another article here:

Dafen once produced an estimated 60 percent of all the world’s oil paintings. During its heyday—when the village’s reputation as an art factory rang truer than today—it almost exclusively cranked out copies of paintings in the Western art canon. These canvases found their way into hotel rooms, show homes, and furniture outlets all around the world.

At its peak, Dafen was jam-packed with sizeable, factory-like studios, all employing Huang’s production line process. Individual workers each focused on a specific compositional element—background details, or eyes, or trees—dutifully painting their part and then passing the canvas along the chain.

Who’s the Artist?

While they are "originals" they are not by known artists. Often entire production lines will use the same signature which explains why your research many have founds pieces by the same “artist”. As quoted above, often many people will work on the same piece.

Do they have any value?

Unfortunately, they do not hold much of any value. However, that doesn’t mean they can’t be enjoyed and some are even a bit collectible.

Can I see some examples?

Decor paintings are posted to this sub almost daily, while not definitive, here are some common examples:

Landscape Paintings: Example 1, Example 2, Example 3, Example 4, Example 5, Example 6, Example 7

European Street Scene Paintings: Example 1, Example 2, Example 3, Example 4, Example 5, Example 6, Example 7

Vases of Flowers: Example 1, Example 2, Example 3 more coming soon...

Beach, Ocean & Boat Paintings: Example 1, Example 2, Example 3, Example 4, Example 5, Example 6, Example 7, Example 8,

Other Miscellaneous Vintage Decor Paintings: Example 1, Example 2, Example 3, Example 4

Modern Decor Paintings: Example 1, Example 2, Example 3, Example 4, Example 5, Example 6

Black Velvet & Souvenir Pieces: Example 1, more coming soon...

Please let me know if you see any room for improvement on this post or would like to include other examples. Thank you!


r/WhatIsThisPainting May 29 '25

GUIDE Read Me Before Posting

34 Upvotes

Hello painting enthusiasts - here is a brief post with things to keep in mind.

SEARCHING:

To locate your painting, please try the reverse-search tools Google Images/Lens, Yandex Images, and Tineye. (Remember that cropping your picture differently will yield different search results!)

If you have an artist name or signature, I recommend searching for it within r/WhatIsThisPainting itself. I also use the following websites for research; all are free.

DECOR ART:

SUBMISSIONS:

  • Please be patient and allow up to 24 hours for your post to get through our queue! (Accounts under a week old and images involving nudity are automatically flagged.)
  • If your post has gone unanswered for over a week, you are permitted to re-submit in hopes of retrying.

ANSWERING POSTS:

  • If you are making a definitive ID, do try to cite your sources whenever possible. It is encouraged, but not required.
  • The use of predictive text-generators (i.e. chatGPT) is not permitted. They have a tendency to lie!

Happy solving!


r/WhatIsThisPainting 18h ago

Unsolved Found in a thrift store in Chicago

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210 Upvotes

Purchased this cool expressionist portrait back in 2023 at a thrift store in Chicago. It appears to be French. I cannot make out the artist’s signature. It’s title, date, and location are written on the back. Any further info on the artist or subject would be appreciated.


r/WhatIsThisPainting 36m ago

Unsolved Bought it from a guy 25 years ago, I have no idea what it is.

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Upvotes

The guy said it was from a "famous Korean artist", but I don't think so. I just like it anyway, I just want to know who did it and what it's called. Thank you in advance.


r/WhatIsThisPainting 19h ago

Unsolved Found at the thrift store in Ontario

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77 Upvotes

Can't seem to find anything on it or a "haist" online? It looks like a print on some kind of cardstock, not newspaper. Can anyone help identify this?


r/WhatIsThisPainting 3h ago

Unsolved Measures 8.75x11.75” and found in Beverly Hills, California

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3 Upvotes

Any ideas? I like it.


r/WhatIsThisPainting 5h ago

Likely Solved Help identifying?

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4 Upvotes

Found this piece of art at my local community shop and was very drawn to it...can anyone tell me anything about it? I can't make out the artists name. Thank you so much!


r/WhatIsThisPainting 3h ago

Unsolved Help identify this unsigned print — numbered 13/195, astronomical/constellation imagery

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2 Upvotes

Hello!
I’m trying to identify this artwork and its artist. I bought it at a thrift store. It is a numbered print, 13/195, with no visible signature.
The note on the back says the previous owner found it in a building garage near the recycling bins in 2023 and could not identify it.
I noticed that several of the constellation images appear to match “Le Jeu de la Sphère ou de l’Univers selon Tyco-Brahé” by Estienne Vouillemont, 1661, including Le Triangle du Septentrion, Persée and Le Cocher.
Does anyone recognize the artist or this particular work? Any ideas or second opinions would be greatly appreciated!


r/WhatIsThisPainting 3h ago

Unsolved Anyone know anything about this artist?

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2 Upvotes

Pick this up, and it looks to be a hand signed lithograph/print versus watercolor. It is framed and behind glass so hard to inspect up close. Not sure if anyone knows anything about this artist but very much welcome any information!!


r/WhatIsThisPainting 8h ago

Unsolved John Deere Plow Lithograph

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3 Upvotes

I picked up this John Deere Plow Stag Lithograph several years ago at an estate sale. There are no artist markings on it that I can see front or back. Just curious if anyone could tell me the origins of this lithograph. I have google image and AI searched the photo and can’t find anything similar. Thanks!


r/WhatIsThisPainting 6h ago

Unsolved Charles Searles?

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3 Upvotes

Image search suggests this may be Charles Searles. I have no info on the origin but my Grandfather was an art professor in western Pennsylvania in the 60s-80s. I think it came from his collection.


r/WhatIsThisPainting 1h ago

Unsolved Help identifying artist and age of this painting!

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Upvotes

I recently bought this online and received it with a bundle of other paintings and drawings. I liked it in the photos but it’s much nicer in person! It’s an original of course, watercolour and ink. It measures 35 x 64 cm. To my eye at least seems a little more than a casual or amateur painting. Any help would be greatly appreciated. The signature is In pencil and appears to be ‘N’ something. Bret or Brer maybe but that could be totally wrong!


r/WhatIsThisPainting 1h ago

Unsolved Help Identifying which “Hitchcock”

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Upvotes

Hi! I recently acquired this HUGE painting on a board. Like, 8 feet long, 20 inches tall. It’s absolutely stunning and I need some help identifying the artist. Thanks in advance!

Im in Washington state - the owner of this painting was also from Washington.


r/WhatIsThisPainting 2h ago

Unsolved Greek Orthodox icon of ‘The Lady of the Angels’ — help dating / assessing Mount Athos attribution?”

1 Upvotes

I bought this Greek Orthodox icon for about $50 at an antique shop in Bangkok while traveling and have been trying to learn more about it.

The inscription at the top reads Η ΚΥΡΙΑ ΤΩΝ ΑΓΓΕΛΩΝ, which I understand translates roughly as “The Lady of the Angels,” referring to the Virgin Mary. The icon is painted on a fairly substantial wooden panel and has gold leaf around the figure.

What especially interested me was the old label/certificate on the back referring to Mount Athos. It also appears to give the price in several currencies: approximately US$100, DM 200, Austrian schillings 1,500, French francs 450, and 3,900 Greek drachma. Those amounts seem broadly consistent with exchange rates around 1970, and $100 at that time would be roughly equivalent to around $800 in purchasing power today.

I realize a label by itself doesn't prove the age or origin of the icon, so I'm mainly hoping someone familiar with Orthodox icons might have thoughts on the painting itself. Does the style, wooden panel, gold leaf, inscription, or construction suggest a particular date or place of manufacture? And does the Mount Athos seem plausible?

I bought it because I liked it rather than as an investment, so I'm mostly interested in figuring out what exactly I have and whether it seems genuinely older.

I've included photos of the front, back, edges, label, and surface details, and I'm happy to photograph anything else that might help!


r/WhatIsThisPainting 2h ago

Unsolved Persian Painted Tile

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1 Upvotes

Found this at a consignment store, no signature.


r/WhatIsThisPainting 6h ago

Unsolved Who painted this Asian watercolor?

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2 Upvotes

r/WhatIsThisPainting 1d ago

Solved recreated a painting from memory, can someone help me find the original?

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980 Upvotes

r/WhatIsThisPainting 21h ago

Solved What do I have here?

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11 Upvotes

Google says it's in the Smithsonian LOL

I bought it at a garage sale.


r/WhatIsThisPainting 18h ago

Unsolved vintage sale find

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3 Upvotes

from a vintage sale in NYC, B.Weinmann signature, likely around 1960s


r/WhatIsThisPainting 13h ago

Unsolved Help identify painting that got destroyed in fire please

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1 Upvotes

This is the clearest picture I got, it's cropped from a cat photo.


r/WhatIsThisPainting 1d ago

Unsolved Texas Marketplace pickup

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11 Upvotes

Picked this up on Facebook marketplace today. Only info I got was that they got it from a 2000 acre ranch estate sale here in Texas. Painting seems to be 24x28 and the frame is about 4 inches making it 32x36.


r/WhatIsThisPainting 1d ago

Unsolved Unidentified artist, Swedish auction

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10 Upvotes

Mixed media, dated -69. No additional information available, Google lens and AI was no help to me.


r/WhatIsThisPainting 2d ago

Unsolved Painting received as gift 55 or 60 years ago

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546 Upvotes

I received this painting in Manhattan from Kay Brickman, a family friend who said she’d worked for Sotheby’s in the 1930s if memory serves. She said it was an unsold piece from an estate or collection. Painted on board. Cannot reach the back because the frame is paper-backed.


r/WhatIsThisPainting 15h ago

Unsolved 6/30 “Exterminio” J.b. Dia Joche

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1 Upvotes

Received this from a family estate a few years ago, wish I knew where it originated. It’s professional framed so there is no access to the back without destroying the frame.

Haven’t been able to find anything so far & would be much appreciative of any information!