Do Reproductions Devalue The Original Artwork?

Over the last few years I have heard a lot of comments about reproduction prints of artwork devaluing the original paintings. "Why would you want to buy a painting that has a had lots of reproductions made of it?" is the cry, and "I wouldn't want to see the lovely painting I bought as a cheap reproduction in Walmart!"

With the advent of POD (Print on Demand) sites like Fine Art America I expect that I will hear these comments more frequently however I disagree and here are my reasons.

Think about the Mona Lisa. How many zillions of copies are there of that painting in the world? Do you think these countless copies devalue that? Of course not, it actually makes the original more valuable. If I bought a painting that I loved and then it was reproduced and became so popular that it was in shops and homes everywhere, I would be absolutely delighted and proud that I had the "original". It's value in monetary terms would have increased and I would feel very good about my decision to have bought that artwork. An original is always special and unique. Feel very happy if you own an original and never feel that a copy made of it takes anything away from that specialness.

Not everyone can afford original artwork but they may love an artists work and want to feature it in their home. Art should be for everyone to enjoy and not just for those who can afford original work.

How do you feel about this?

I would really appreciate it if you share this on your favorite social networking site.