Every size is $20 under the list price the large Dafen export platforms publish for the same painting. You buy from the studio that paints it — no platform margin, no reseller layer. Final quote depends on size, frame and destination.
Price by canvas size
Every The Art of Painting we paint is made to order, so the price tracks the canvas size and the amount of brushwork involved. These are the sizes our customers order most:
| Size (inches) | Size (cm) | Our price | List price | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 × 12 in | 40 × 30 cm | $191.50 | $211.50 | A shelf, a small wall, a gallery group |
| 20 × 16 in | 50 × 40 cm | $218.50 | $238.50 | Bedroom, hallway, above a console |
| 24 × 20 in | 60 × 50 cm | $321.50 | $341.50 | Study, home office, above a desk |
| 30 × 24 in | 76 × 61 cm | $407 | $427 | Dining room, bedroom feature wall |
| 32 × 24 in | 81 × 61 cm | $422.50 | $442.50 | Living room, above a sideboard |
| 40 × 30 in | 102 × 76 cm | $508.50 | $528.50 | Living room focal wall, above a sofa |
| 48 × 36 in | 122 × 91 cm | $606 | $626 | Large living room, stairwell, loft |
| 64 × 48 in | 163 × 122 cm | $968 | $988 | Villa scale, lobby, hospitality wall |
We benchmark every canvas against the published list price of the big Dafen export studios and stay $20 below it at every single size — the same painters, the same 400gsm linen and the same hand-painted process, without the platform margin. Estimates only: the final quote depends on your exact size, frame and shipping destination. Framing and shipping are quoted separately. Duties and import taxes are the buyer's responsibility (DAP).
Tell us your size and frame — we reply with an exact quote, usually within the hour.
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Why a print cannot do this painting
Vermeer's effects are almost all a matter of paint thickness and pigment choice. In The Milkmaid the bread crusts are built up with lead-white impasto, while the wall behind is a thin, almost transparent grey. Printing renders both as one surface.
A print reproduces the colour and the composition but none of that behaviour. The details that make The Art of Painting worth looking at collapse into pattern, and the canvas stops being the thing that was made. Under a picture light, ours still behaves like paint.
There is a test we encourage buyers to use on any "oil painting" they are offered: run a fingernail very gently across the surface. A hand-painted canvas feels like terrain. A print feels like glass.
The painting itself
Vermeer painted the painter seen from behind, with the model dressed as Clio and the map of the Netherlands folded in the background — an allegory he refused to sell.
We rebuild the surfaces separately — heavy opaque whites on the highlighted passages, very thin translucent greys on the walls — and we grind the blue from genuine lapis for the few passages where ultramarine can be seen at full strength.. Reproducing it means solving those problems again at your chosen size rather than enlarging a photograph of someone else's answer.
How our painters reproduce it
Our studio is in Dafen Oil Painting Village, Shenzhen — the centre of hand-painted oil reproduction for more than thirty years. A The Art of Painting here is not traced, projected or transferred. The painter works freehand from a high-resolution reference, in layers:
- Composition and ground. The canvas is toned and the main forms laid out in a thin underpainting, matching the original proportions to your chosen size.
- Colour build-up. The palette is mixed in oil, not acrylic — only oil gives the same depth, slow blending and the slightly translucent glow the original depends on.
- Impasto and surface passes. The signature strokes go on last, loaded with paint, following the direction of the original's brushwork. This is the slowest and most skilful stage.
- Drying and inspection. Layered oil needs days to set properly. We let it. Then the finished canvas is checked against the reference for colour, composition and stroke character.
We rebuild the surfaces separately — heavy opaque whites on the highlighted passages, very thin translucent greys on the walls — and we grind the blue from genuine lapis for the few passages where ultramarine can be seen at full strength.
Where it hangs best
- Library
- Private study
- Gallery hallway
- Formal sitting room
Framing
Choose gold to echo the original's warmth, matte black for a contemporary room, walnut for a traditional interior, or no frame at all as a gallery-wrap canvas ready to hang. Frames are quoted separately and packed with corner protection.
How ordering works
- Tell us the painting, size and frame. WhatsApp is fastest — include a wall photo if you want sizing advice.
- Get an exact quote. Usually within the hour, with the timeline confirmed in writing.
- 70% deposit starts the painting. Paid by bank transfer, PayPal, credit card or Wise.
- We send photographs of the finished painting. You review it before anything ships. If something clearly does not match your order notes, tell us and we adjust it.
- Pay the 30% balance, then we ship. Tracked worldwide courier, rolled in a rigid tube or crated if framed.
FAQ
Is this hand-painted or printed?
100% hand-painted in oil on artist canvas by a studio painter in Dafen. No printing, no transfer, no giclée. You can feel the brushwork on the surface.
How much does it cost?
Est. $191.50 to $968 depending mainly on canvas size, from 16 x 12 in up to 64 x 48 in. Frame and shipping quoted separately.
Can I order a size that is not on the list?
Yes — any size. The painter works freehand on a blank canvas, so we can also crop the composition slightly to fit your wall proportions.
How do I approve it before shipping?
We send photographs of the finished painting. You approve first, then pay the 30% balance and we ship. If something clearly does not match your order notes, tell us and we adjust it before it leaves.
How long does it take?
Most take 2–4 weeks depending on size and the studio queue. Layered oil needs proper drying time. The timeline is confirmed in writing before any deposit.
Who pays import duty?
Shipping is worldwide and tracked, typically DHL or FedEx, quoted separately. Import duties and taxes in your country are the buyer's responsibility (DAP).
Ready to commission a real The Art of Painting? Send the size and frame — quote back within the hour.
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