Copying a painting completed in 1927

[Jane Polkowski]

I have been asked to copy a portrait painting that was completed in 1927 as a commission. The artist died in 1929. Is there a problem if I painted a different size from the original and gave reference to the original artist by my name?

Thank you,

Jane

[David Draime]

Jane,

As long as you give credit to the artist that you are copying - for example, "Jane Polkowski after Artist" - there is really no problem. This is a long-established tradition. As far as I know, you don't even have to alter the original size. If the artist was alive, it would be a courtesy to seek permission, but in this case....

Out of curiosity, who is the artist you are copying? And can you post the work that you are copying?

David

[Jane Polkowski]

Dear David,

Thank you very much for the information you provided! I decided not to do this one. The artist is Robert Henri and the photo of the painting (reportedly in private collection) is not a good one. I copied a different Henri painting a few years ago just for practice for myself, however, it