Despite this, vintage painting by number is still popular as a collector's item and decoration these days. Contemporary painting by number is considered a fun hobby, while a vintage piece is admired for its kitsch and decorative value. Browse your local antique mall and I bet you'll find any amount of vintage painting by numbers (PBN). Vintage painting by numbers might be popular with a wider audience right now, but I know that will change as soon as something else comes up.
Interior designer Jen created this “fun and simple” project that combines old cheesy painting by numbers and a simple side table. Although many critics saw “painting by numbers” as a symbol of the senseless conformity that affected the United States of the 1950s, painting by numbers had a particularly American virtue. I've been trying to acquire enough to complete my painting by numbers wall, so there are some that aren't my favorites. Of course, someone has to take it to the next level by painting complete murals based on their favorite Paint By Number pattern.
So, first of all, most paint-by-number designs were printed and painted on a thicker piece of cardboard-like material. Paint By Number goes “deep” when considered in the context of the continued growth of democracy and meritocracy in the United States. Paint-by-number kits were so common, so popular, as part of the American decorating scheme, that the Smithsonian created an entire exhibition around them in 2001. I have to imagine that these nude kits were not offered at the standard paint-by-number rate at the local Woolworths, but in a more specialized hobby shops. Nowadays, contemporary painting by numbers is prized for its value as a hobby, while vintage pieces are sought after for their kitschy and decorative appeal.
By its very nature, Paint by Numbers keeps the brain busy and stimulates activity. When you're bored, especially, this keeps you going. However, there were other companies that had jumped on the painting by numbers bandwagon, so that the trade could continue in the coming decades. Vintage painting by numbers is a fun and colourful item to collect and is perfect for decorating with different seasons, holidays and themes.
In 1949, artist Dan Robbins was hired by Max Klein, president of Palmer Paint Company in Detroit, to create products.
