What Is an Artist's Proof? The Original You Didn't Know You Could Own

When you choose a Lucy Pittaway piece, you're usually choosing a limited edition print, one of a numbered run, each marked with its place in the sequence: 47/295, 12/150, and so on. It's a beautiful way to own a piece of original artwork in a form that's accessible and built to last.But there's another version of many Lucy Pittaway pieces that most people never hear about. It's called an Artist's Proof, and it's a different class of rare entirely.

What is an Artist's Proof?

An Artist's Proof, often shortened to AP, is taken from exactly the same master as the limited edition. It's produced using the same materials and the same process, to the same quality and standard. It is not a reproduction, and it is not a "lesser" or "extra" print.

What makes it different is how it's set aside. Rather than being included in the main edition numbering, the Artist's Proof copies are kept separately by the artist historically, these were the copies an artist would keep for themselves, the first checked by their own hand before the wider edition was released.Because of that, an Artist's Proof isn't numbered in the usual way. Where a standard print might read 47/295, an Artist's Proof is simply marked AP. Each one is still individually numbered within its own much smaller run, signed by Lucy, and supplied with a certificate of authenticity. And the numbers really are small. Many of Lucy's Artist's Proofs are limited to just 20 worldwide.

Why collectors seek these out.

Produced using the same materials and process as the limited edition same quality, same standard. Created in far smaller quantities than numbered prints, making them genuinely rarer. Often considered the most exclusive, most collectable version of a piece. A natural choice for a statement piece in a home, or as a long-term investment.

An original, not a print

Perhaps the simplest way to think about it: an Artist's Proof is your opportunity to own an original not one of hundreds, but one of a tiny handful that will ever exist. Once an edition's APs are gone, they're gone permanently. There's no reprint, no second run.
We've already seen this happen. Our Wrapped in Love Artist's Proof has sold out completely. Several others including Keep Up Dad, Feathered Friends, and Stanley are down to their very last copy.

If you've fallen for a piece of Lucy's work in its standard edition, it's worth checking whether an Artist's Proof is still available. Each comes ready to complete with your choice of frame so what arrives isn't just a print, but a finished, original piece of art.
Browse available Artist's Proofs here.