r/WhatIsThisPainting • • Jan 15 '20

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

448 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 • • 9h ago

Likely Solved Dead hummingbird hanging upside down. Circa 1875, signed A.Aubin

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70 Upvotes

Bought from a neighbors estate sale years ago. She was an eccentric old woman who was interested in art, and literature. I think it is oil on wood. Any possibility the frame is original? I would love to know more about it.


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 11h ago

Likely Solved My job is throwing this painting away..I’m sure it’s been here since the 90’s but I’m not sure of the artist or the origin of it ..it looks like it may have been painted on some type of cloth..can someone tell me a little about its origins or where it might’ve come from..thanks!

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37 Upvotes

r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 7h ago

Unsolved Tropical Nighttime Painting

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17 Upvotes

Hi all! I bought this at a yard sale in New Jersey in 2007 or so and have always been curious about what its story may be.

The picture measures 12” high by 10” wide.

I don’t see a signature, but maybe you can spot one!

No luck with Google Lens.

In addition to any insight about the painting it, I love to get some guidance on how to gently remove what I can only speculate is a metric ton of tobacco crud on the paintings surface. Appreciate you taking a look!


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 2h ago

Unsolved Had this painting in our family for years

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5 Upvotes

I’ve had this painting in my bedroom ever since I was a baby, I was only told that it was given to me by my aunt. It has the signature “Di Wright” or D. Wright” on it but I can’t find a concrete artist who may have done it. So here I am


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 7h ago

Unsolved Unknown artist proof from estate sale in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

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9 Upvotes

No data on back. Can't make out the signature. 1970. Acquired at an estate sale in Minneapolis. Mostly junk, but a few nice lithographs that caught my eye.


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 6h ago

Likely Solved - Decor Shore waves with seagulls

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5 Upvotes

Amazing how hard it is to reverse image search something that's been painted by approximately five thousand different people, huh? 😅

This painting has been hanging in my grandma in law's house in Sydney, Australia for at least a decade, maybe a few decades? Nobody remembers anything about it. I don't want to disassemble the frame to get a look at the back of the canvas unless I have to, sorry.


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 7h ago

Unsolved Can anyone identify this artist?

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5 Upvotes

I believe this is a serigraph but I can't seem to identify the artist by signature. I found it in a thrift shop in Vancouver, Canada.


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 3h ago

Unsolved Found this

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2 Upvotes

Who is this artist?


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 1d ago

Unsolved Kookie Aunt Gift

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128 Upvotes

My wife's very strange aunt gave us this. She said it came from a gallery in Martinique.

Usually she gives my wife old stale firs or old boots that don't fit. When I saw the painting I was kind of shocked. It's really really nice.

I looked up the artist and I really couldn't find a signature that was a good match. It's definitely a real painting. The brush strokes are crazy nice.


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 8h ago

Unsolved Any information on this one??

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4 Upvotes

I confidently identified this art piece. However I am a bit novice and am just wondering if this is rare/umcommon? Can anyone please assist


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 14h ago

Unsolved Real Dali ?

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12 Upvotes

I really need Help if this is a Real Dali or not. I heard that the Utensil for the signature would not be right and the Signature Looked a little of but i'm Unsure. Thx for any help !


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 5h ago

Unsolved '97 signed watercolour

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2 Upvotes

I got this as part of an auction lot recently in southern Ontario, Canada. It was a really crazy collection that was sold through a small house clearing company that knows nothing about art. (The collector had died a while ago and there was only paperwork for some of the huge collection)

I've been able to identify most of what we got but this is one of the ones that has me stumped.

I've opened its frame, which may have been original since it fits the age. It has an archival mat and backing and is in proper conservation corners but there are no other marks or info inside or on the back of the paper.

Any insights welcome!


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 5h ago

Unsolved Any answer would help

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2 Upvotes

Just found this and can’t tell who it is by. The back is foam matted so not much help there

Thanks in advance


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 12h ago

Unsolved Oil painting of Lake Lugano signed “Novelli”, dated 1941 - Who is the artist?

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6 Upvotes

Hi! I have this oil painting showing Lake Lugano with mountains, a house with flowers and two rowing boats with fishermen. It’s painted with a palette knife in thick impasto.

My father got it from his uncle.

Bottom left it says “Lugano 1941 Novelli”, followed by a mark that looks like “B” or “Bp”. I’m not 100% sure about the name or whether the date is 1941 or 1971.

Size: 65 × 110. cm (with frame).

Does anyone recognize the artist or the signature? Thanks!


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 4h ago

Unsolved At Sir John Soane's Museum, London

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1 Upvotes

I saw this painting in Sir John Soane's Museum in London and wondered if anyone knows what it is. Unfortunately, I couldn't see any names on it or anything to identify it by - the website is just asking me to log in but with no way to create an account.

Thanks


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 5h ago

Identify piece or artist from cropped image?

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1 Upvotes

I have a partial screenshot of a drawn reproduction/reinterpretation of Pierre Auguste Cot's Springtime/The Swing. I hope this is still allowed, the partial image is unfortunately all that I have. I saw the image years ago, I think on si.edu or a similar website with a large archive of artworks. I thought I had saved the artist's name somewhere but I can't find it! I am really hoping to find out who it is by because I just find it very interesting.


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 8h ago

Unsolved Can’t find with any search tools! NSFW

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2 Upvotes

I found these two paintings forever ago on Pinterest (unfortunately I lost the pins), and I’ve tried all reverse image search tools with no luck. I’d love some help!


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 14h ago

Unsolved Does anyone recognize this artist?

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3 Upvotes

Does anyone recognize this artist? I found this image in Düsseldorf. Perhaps it’s just an unknown private individual—or maybe not?


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 10h ago

Unsolved Painting or Print?

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1 Upvotes

Hello! I recently traveled to Albania and bought a painting that I really liked from a local stall in the bazar.
I’m now wondering whether I bought a real painting or a print.
What do you think? Sorry if it’s the wrong place to ask.

PS. Gemini claims that the Bazar sells a lot of fake stuff, and many digital prints, and that the dotted pattern here make it very likely to be a reproduction print as well (but I have no knowledge in that field, so I wanted a second opinion).

Thanks!


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 21h ago

Unsolved Mystery inherited artwork

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6 Upvotes

I know the images could be better - I live in another country than my family member, and they are older and aren't the greatest at taking pictures. I could try to get better ones, if needed.

Believed to be an italian artist, something like Fiorella Chiarchidi, or similar. I can't find any information - any help would be so appreciated!


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 17h ago

Unsolved Thrift store Bernini

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1 Upvotes

Part of a job-lot of framed pieces from a Dutch (Utrecht) thrift store. The framing is quite grand but there wasn't a sticker or any other indication of where it had been framed. Maybe it was framed by the artist, or a caring amateur? The board on which the artwork is painted was affixed permanently (I think with glue) to the matboard of the frame so it can’t be removed and the back of the work can't be viewed. The piece is in paint and a bit of gold leaf, which is unobvious in the photos. There is a prominent signature and date: Maud Lyan? 2000, so not v old. The statue in the painting looks famous, but classic sculpture is out of my wheelhouse - Google image search is quite confident that it's Bernini’s Angel with the Lance but to my eye that don't look right.


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 1d ago

Likely Solved Gifted to me

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15 Upvotes

Can anyone decipher the signature? It has been in storage for years. The person who gave it to me thinks it’s from the 1970s. Thank you.


r/WhatIsThisPainting • • 14h ago

Hi! I want to know more about this vintage oil painting on hardboard. Signed "Salvani" (or Salvini) on the edge. It looks like a copy of Max Streckenbach's poppies. Any details about the artist Salvani or time period? Thanks!

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1 Upvotes