Artist Imitators Thrive in China’s Famous Oil Painting Village

An artist working on his painting outside a gallery at the artist village on June 12, 2014 in Shenzhen, China. The Dafen Artist Village in Guangdong province, China, is home to thousands of artists who reproduce some of the world’s most iconic paintings as well as create their own works. The village, on the outskirts of Shenzhen, is becoming a major center for original Chinese art. (Photo by Palani Mohan/Getty images)

An artist works on a large canvas in his gallery at the artist village on June 12, 2014 in Shenzhen, China. (Photo by Palani Mohan/Getty images)

Copies of paintings by Van Gogh can be seen in a gallery at the artist village on June 12, 2014 in Shenzhen, China. (Photo by Palani Mohan/Getty images)

A framer works on a reproduction canvas at the artist village on June 12, 2014 in Shenzhen, China. (Photo by Palani Mohan/Getty images)

Salespeople roll out a reproduction of the famous work “Girl with a Pearl Earring” at the artist village on June 11, 2014 in Shenzhen, China. (Photo by Palani Mohan/Getty images)

A cleaner moves through the alleyways of the Defan village in Shenzhen as an artist creates paintings from photographs on June 12, 2014 in Shenzhen, China. (Photo by Palani Mohan/Getty images)

An artist eats his lunch at a gallery packed with still lifes and reproductions at the artist village on June 11, 2014 in Shenzhen, China. (Photo by Palani Mohan/Getty images)

Two painters work at open-sided galleries in a laneway at the artist village on June 12, 2014 in Shenzhen, China. (Photo by Palani Mohan/Getty images)