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Lesson 5 of 8
  • Year 11

Reproducing art: postcards, prints and artist editions

I can experiment with reproducing and curating my own artwork.

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View unit
Lesson 5 of 8
New
New
  • Year 11

Reproducing art: postcards, prints and artist editions

I can experiment with reproducing and curating my own artwork.

Download all

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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These resources were created for remote use during the pandemic and are not designed for classroom teaching.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Artists can reproduce their work through prints, postcards, and limited edition prints.
  2. There are many examples of artist's reproducing their work in different ways and across different times and places.
  3. A curatorial experiment explores not just which artworks are shown, but how they are arranged, displayed, and framed.
  4. Curators and artists might use reproductions to experiment with how art is displayed and experienced

Keywords

  • Reproduction - a copy of an original artwork that allows more people to see it

  • Edition - a set number of copies of an artwork, like prints or postcards, often numbered to show how many exist

Common misconception

Reproduction is only possible with a photocopier/printer and reproductions are not as valid as originals.

Hand-made reproductions (drawn, traced, collaged, reinterpreted) are also valid artistic processes.


To help you plan your year 11 art and design lesson on: Reproducing art: postcards, prints and artist editions, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

When moving into the curatorial experiment, guide students to be purposeful; rather than sticking reproductions down randomly, ask them to think like a curator.
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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
What does “reproduction” mean in art?

Destroying an artwork so it can’t be copied
Correct answer: A copy of an original artwork that more people can see
An artwork made only with photography
A sketch done before making the final painting

Q2.
Why might an artist choose to make prints or postcards of their work?

Correct answer: To reach a wider audience
To make their art invisible
To avoid showing their work in public
To ensure only one person ever sees their art

Q3.
What is an “edition” in art?

A drawing made in one sitting
The first draft of an artwork before the final version
An exhibition catalogue
Correct answer: A set number of copies of an artwork, often numbered

Q4.
How might reproductions change who gets to experience an artwork?

They limit the artwork to one gallery only
Correct answer: They allow more people in different places to see it
They make the artwork less creative
They always make the artwork smaller

Q5.
Why do you think curators experiment with how artworks are displayed?

To make the gallery look busy
To avoid showing certain artworks at all
Correct answer: To change how audiences experience and interpret the art
To keep the art hidden from the public

Q6.
Do you think a reproduction, like a postcard, can still be considered “art”?

No, only original paintings are art
Yes, but only if it is made digitally
No, because copies aren’t valuable
Correct answer: Yes, because the creative idea and design still belong to the artist

Additional material

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