First produced work of art in a number of versions
Also known as original version · original · master copy · artwork original version · original work
21 statements · 10% with external sources · numbers in brackets are citations
8 identifiers linking prime version across the web's reference databases
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In the art world, if an artwork exists in several versions, the one known or believed to be the earliest is called the prime version. Many artworks produced in media such as painting or carved sculpture which create unique objects are in fact repeated by their artists, often several times. It is regarded as a matter of some importance both by art historians and the art market to establish which version has "priority", that is to say was the original work. The presumption usually is that the prime version is the finest, and perhaps the most carefully done, though some later versions can be argued to improve on the originals.