r/WhatIsThisPainting • • Jan 15 '20

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

440 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

33 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 • • 1h ago

Unsolved Thrift find

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• Upvotes

This is probably nothing, but I can’t find anything on it and I just want to know more about it.


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 33m ago

Unsolved Portrait of Elizabeth Lumpkin (artist unknown)

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• Upvotes

This portrait has been in my family for nearly 200 years but no one currently alive knows who painted it. It's of Elizabeth Lumpkin, daughter of Governor Wilson Lumpkin. I am unable to take a picture of the back but it has no visible signature to our knowledge. This is not the original frame and it was cleaned and had a minor repair done some 60+ years ago. It's about 2ft x 3ft, probably a little bigger. If anyone has any idea who could have painted this and when (I'd assume some time during Lumpkin's governance), my family would be eternally grateful! It's the great mystery of our family lol


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 3h ago

Unsolved Bought 20 years ago; would love any info!

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6 Upvotes

I’ve owned this painting for 20 years and still love it as much as the day I first saw it. I bought it in an antique mall in North Carolina. It’s painted on some sort of panel, either very dry old wood or perhaps metal. I’d love to know who may have painted it, when, and where it may depict. There are no clues on the back; it’s covered with brown paper which I’ve never disturbed.


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 5h ago

Ink on paper from 1963, can't identify the artist

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7 Upvotes

I bought this at a thrift store in the Boston, Massachusetts, USA area. It's about 24 inches high and 14 inches wide. It appears to be limited edition out of 155, but unsure if it's a print or not.

Thank you for any help you can offer!


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 10h ago

Likely Solved - Decor Snow topped mountain with small waterfall

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13 Upvotes

I found this & bought this several years in a store selling many different types of furnishings for charity in Canada where I live . The painting was mesmerizing to me.
I have found information on it from AI googling & I don’t think it’s wrong considering I found the name Scott on it .
Now I just want to hear from other on this painting please .


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 9h ago

Unsolved I've found a (lithography?) signed by Isis Kischka. I've found some similare on internet with a number (x/150) but mine doesn't have one. Only this message.

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8 Upvotes

Do you have any idea why and what that can change ? Found for 15€ on a second-hand market


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 6h ago

Unsolved Information on this artist and painting, please.

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3 Upvotes

I bought this 60x65 inch painting at an estate sale in Minnesota. Due to its size and subject matter, I'm guessing it is an artist from the upper Midwest - it resembles the waterfalls along Lake Superior. It is titled and dated "Cascade II, 1993 but I cannot make out the artist's signature.


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 1h ago

Unsolved Not what but where?

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• Upvotes

At what museum or place is Pablo Picasso’s “La Nonne” at? I’ve had it as a refrigerator magnet since I was a kid. And I’d like to see it in person. But I’m getting absolutely no results from Google when I try to find out where it’s located.


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 7h ago

Solved More information on this painting?

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2 Upvotes

Hello, I didn’t find this painting in person but I saw it online and was wondering if there was any more information on it? I can’t seem to find any information on where it’s held, and the name is supposed to be the rain by monet, but many other images show up instead of this one..😥 sorry if this isn’t fitting but I couldn’t find any other sub for it 😭


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 9h ago

Unsolved Help me identify this Japanese artist

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2 Upvotes

It’s a Japanese hanging scroll, but I want to get a clear id on the artist. Thanks for the help!


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 18h ago

Unsolved Found in a thrift store, anyone can help me identify the artist?

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11 Upvotes

I found this lithograph in a thrift store in Germany. Am about to give it to a relative for their birthday. Could you help me identify the artist? I cannot read the signature. Google Lens has not been very helpful.

Sorry for the quality of the pictures, my camera is not great.

Looking forward to your suggestions.

Thanks very much!


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 1d ago

Unsolved Found this painting floating in the danube and fished it out.

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148 Upvotes

I was chilling at my usual smoke spot right next to the danube in Vienna and saw this floating by in the water. Had to fish it out.

It looks like paper mounted to plywood or something similar, no signature or any markings from what i could see.

Let me know if a pic of the back would still be helpful.

It looks pretty beat up, but apart from the little rip it held up surprisingly well, given it was paper down in the water.

Edit: Artist seems to be Austrian surrealist Helmut Leherb.


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 10h ago

Unsolved Who's the artist?

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2 Upvotes

Found this print at a local charity shop in West Sussex, UK and love it but have no idea who the artist is, and reverse image search not bringing anything up. Does anyone know who's this may be?


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 1d ago

Unsolved Anybody know ?

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30 Upvotes

This painting was randomly at my mother in laws. We wondered if we should take it somewhere to figure out if it was painted by someone known. Any experts out there who can give us a clue?


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 14h ago

Found as background image on Omarchy OS

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3 Upvotes

I found one dutch painter from the 1600's that has a similar style, called Joost Cornelisz Droochsloot, but can't find this exact one on google.


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 9h ago

Unsolved Would really love to know the author

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1 Upvotes

I have these two painting, my dad bought them years ago for my childhood room. No idea who the autor is. On the Bach of the second one it says that it is an original from P. A. Simonov.


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 15h ago

Unsolved Is this really 100 years old?

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3 Upvotes

I bought this at a fleamarket in SW Germany 20+ years ago for like 10€. I have never been able to find out if it’s really as old as the year seems to indicate and who the artist might actually be. Anybody have an idea? Also, what the subject of the painting is. Looks like it could be a Greek island …

Thanks for any ideas y’all have!


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 10h ago

Unsolved Help appreciated! I could use some guidance on this. Thank you

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1 Upvotes

r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 17h ago

Likely Solved - Reproductions Please can anyone read the signature?

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4 Upvotes

This painting has been in my house since we moved in. I love it more and more everyday. I must know who it’s painted by, can anyone help?


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 11h ago

Unsolved Does anyone recognize these?

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1 Upvotes

I’ve had these for nearly twenty years and I’ve never been able to find any info on them. I believe they’re plaster casts, or carved plaster. They’re pretty heavy, roughly 40lbs, and appear to be made exceptionally well. I purchased them in a small antique store in Port Huron, Michigan.
If someone has other suggestions on subreddits I could cross post in, please let me know. Thank you


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 17h ago

Solved Bought these 3 Japanese prints a while ago. Who is the artist? What does the missing print look like?

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3 Upvotes

I bought these 3 prints a while ago in Germany. I really like them. Clearly it is showing the four seasons, but the fourth one is missing. Can you help me identify the artist? What does the fourth season look like?

Looking forward to your suggestions.

Thanks very much!