▀▄ What is an original artwork?

An original work of art is created under the artist's direction and supervision and exists in a very limited number of copies, in accordance with the legal framework of the artist's country. The price of the work is directly affected by this rule, since the creation of a sculpture, for example, cannot be offset by a large number of copies. Acquired at a reasonable and affordable price, an original and authentic work of art retains its value over time due to its very limited production.

▀▄ What does the law say?

In France, the law is fairly restrictive. A work of art is considered original if it does not exceed a series of 8 copies, to which can be added another series of 4 copies considered artist's proofs. This means a maximum of 12 copies.

Artist's proofs are the property of the artist, who may keep them or decide to sell them.

Each copy receives a number engraved in the sculpture: 1/8 for copy number one, and so on until the last copy is 8/8.For watercolors, the signature is handwritten at the bottom right of the painting.

Next to the number is the artist's signature. In my case, the signature takes two forms: either S.G for small sculptures or jewelry, or S.Gantelet if the size of the sculpture permits. If the jewel is too small, I affix my master stamp, which represents a gauntlet (the iron glove of a knight's armor) with my initials S.G.

If the artist decides not to make copies, the work is considered a unique piece and is marked 1/1 or 'PU'.

So, if you buy more than 8 copies, you are no longer protected by the value of your acquisition, and are now in the world of multiples rather than original, authentic works of art.

▀▄ But why is a work of art authentic?

A work of art is considered authentic by law if it is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity drawn up and signed by the artist, specifying a certain amount of information.

Definition of works of art in the General Tax Code (Article 98 A). ►●● Link to the French General Tax Code, article 98A

▀▄ What important information should be included in the certificate for an authentic work of art?

The certificate of authenticity must include the following information:

• ■ the artist's name
• ■ the artist's name
• ■ the artist's name
• ■ the title of the work of art
• ■ the dimensions of the work of art
• ■ the work of art support
• ■ the work of art medium
• ■ the year of production
• ■ the artist's signature

The repression of art fraud is governed by the Marcus Decree (Decree no. 81-255 of March 3 1981 on the repression of fraud in transactions involving works of art and collectors' items). ►●● Link to teh French Marcus decree

But that's not all: the intellectual property code also protects your acquisition:

▀▄ But that's not all: the intellectual property code also protects your acquisition:

It's the artist who decides whether he's an artist or not, and it's the artist who decides whether his creation is a work of art. Author and work form an indissoluble couple. According to article L111-1 of the French Intellectual Property Code, a work is normally protected “by the mere fact of its creation”.

A work of the mind must meet two cumulative criteria:

• ■ the work must be formalized and concrete (a mere idea cannot be protected by copyright)
• ■ the work must bear the imprint of the author's personality and be original.

The certificate of authenticity, together with the signature and numbering of the work of art, fulfils all the conditions for protecting the original and authentic nature of your purchase from me.

▀▄ One final point remains to be clarified: how can an original, authentic work of art remain affordable under these conditions?

It's very simple: cut out the middleman!

I made the choice to exist on my own the day I decided in 1988 to become an artist.

The world has changed since then, and I've experienced the transition from the Bronze Age (I worked for 15 years in an art foundry) to the digital age (I coded a literary video game for 5 years). ┕━━━━ » "Le journal du brise-lames" jeu vidéo littéraire

So I decided to create my own website myself and not depend on anyone, not even an online store that would impose its rules and conditions on me.

My aim is not to accumulate wealth, but to make a decent living from what I offer.

In this way, I can guarantee the best possible prices, so that your work of art dont loses value.