Art of Copying Art

Penelope Jackson is a former public art gallery curator and director. Jackson is the chair of the New Zealand Art Crime Research Trust. She is the author of Art Thieves, Fakers & Fraudsters: The New Zealand Story (2016), Females in the Frame: Women, Art, and Crime (Palgrave, 2019) and has contributed to Art Crime and its Prevention (2016) and the Journal of Art Crime. In 2020 she was the recipient of a University of Auckland/Michael King Writers Centre Residency.

“This is a hard book to put down. She makes a strong case for the better appreciation of copies. She points out that copies tell their own stories, and add to our appreciation of copies. She points out that copies tell their own stories, and add to our appreciation of the rich complexity and knowledge of art. Her style of writing is appealing to non-art aficionados.” (Rod Thomas, ARCA, art-crime.blogspot.com, February 21, 2023)“This is a surprisingly diverting read with opportunities on nearly every page for the reader to look up and say ‘Did you know that . . . ?’ to their partner. Anyone remotely interested in the subject would be well advised to get themselves a copy.” (North & South Magazine, February, 2023)“Penelope Jackson’s latest book, The Art of Copying Art, takes her audience into an arena of art practice … . With originality and rich scholarship, Jackson illuminates this world of copying revealing its complex readings, relationships and meanings in a way which is both intriguing and thought-provoking. The Art of Copying Art is a most worthwhile addition to any art historical library.” (Pamela James, Journal of Art Crime, 2022)

• 1. Introduction: A Case for Copies.- 2. Apprentice Artists.- 3. Copies for the Colonies.- 4. Paintings-within-Paintings.- 5. Education and Entertainment. - 6. Copies in Public Collections. - 7. Protecting the Past. - 8. Cash for Copies. - 9. Conclusion: Sorting the Wheat from the Chaff.