What Art Reproductions Sell Best in Which Cities?

Los Angeles Goes for Klimt’s ‘The Kiss’; Chicago, New York Love van Gogh

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OverstockArt.com sells hand-painted reproductions of more than 10,000 works. The paintings, mostly well-known masterpieces, are made by painters under contract in China and Vietnam and sold via the company’s website and those of retailers including Gilt Groupe, J.C. Penney Co., Kohl’s Corp. and Home Depot Inc.

Below, Amitai Sasson, vice president of marketing and development for the Wichita, Kan., company, surmises why the below masterpieces were the biggest sellers last year in these U.S. cities.

1. New York: Vincent van Gogh ’s “The Starry Night”

“In a sense it’s the Mona Lisa of New York,” says Mr. Sasson. The original “The Starry Night” can be seen at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, likely boosting the popularity of its reproductions with residents there, Mr. Sasson says. “Some people just want the art how the artist intended it, oil on canvas,” he says. OverstockArt.com sells more paintings to shoppers in New York than anywhere else, the company says.

2. Los Angeles: Gustav Klimt ’s “The Kiss”

The company’s version uses gold foil to replicate the gold leaf Mr. Klimt embedded in his painting. Mr. Sasson says the entwined couple in the work, with its “harmonic and erotic vibe,” echoes the mood of Los Angeles well. “There’s a magnetic, star-studded appeal,” he says.

3. Washington, D.C.: Claude Monet ’s “Garden Path at Giverny”

This lush garden scene by Mr. Monet likely appeals to art fans in Washington, D.C. because of the overall popularity of impressionism there, says Mr. Sasson. Residents have access to view many works from this period in the city’s museums, he says, including several by Mr. Monet in the National Gallery of Art.

4. San Francisco: Frederic Leighton ’s “Flaming June”

“All of a sudden it’s become a best seller,” says Mr. Sasson. He says the youthful mood of the painting probably resonates with the young—and young-at-heart—population there. The Victorian artist likely also appeals to residents because his art comes from the same era as much of San Francisco’s architecture, he says.

5.Chicago: Vincent van Gogh’s “Café Terrace at Night”

The growing cafe culture in Chicago and the Art Institute of Chicago’s collection of the artist’s work are among several factors that make this painting so popular in Chicago, Mr. Sasson says. “Chicago always loves van Gogh in general,” he says. “I think it has a correlation with their deep-dish pizza--they love their art with extra-chunky brush strokes.”