If you have wistfully pored over classic works of art and sighed at their unavailability or ever wondered if prints ordered online would be worth it, here are two places in the city where you can pick from a multitude of options, and get an idea how they would look in your home.
Peephole to the world
Off a quiet lane in Koramangala, Tallenge is an office-and-store in a nondescript building where Praveen Gupta P and his team are busy sourcing and framing prints of paintings and posters in various sizes. Their range, which can be perused online, is vast. With over 40,000 paintings from old masters such as Da Vinci, Rembrandt and Monet to modernists Munch, Klimt and Amrita Sher-Gil, besides a host of others as well as movie posters, the site is a treasure trove where one can lose track of time.
Tallenge initially began as a platform to promote new talent, but Praveen soon realised not many people support up-and-coming artists, at least not on a commercially viable level. He also found out the hard way that online platforms had made the process of returning products so easy, customers had no qualms in returning original works of art in various states of mutilation.
Sites such as Google Art and Culture as well as the creation of prints do not detract from the importance of the artist or the role of museums. “Instead, museums are witnessing an increase in footfall with young visitors keen to experience art they may have first seen online. The works of long-forgotten or obscure artists come to light, and the value of art appreciates as more people know about it,” says Praveen.
Since art which has been in the public domain for 70 years or more can be accessed by all, the range of art which can be made available commercially is considerable.
Still, Praveen and his team do their due diligence before uploading an image on to their site and while there have been no issues over copyright, he recalls an incident in the reverse. “The grandchild of an artist approached us asking if we had a particular piece in our collection; the woman in the painting was their mother and they did not have a copy for themselves.”
Praveen says this line of work opened up interesting avenues of thought and learning. “News of the sale of an art work at Christie’s could have you going down the rabbit hole of history, geography and interesting trivia.”
“What would compel Hiroshi Yoshida, a Japanese printmaker, or American explorer Edwin Weeks, living at the turn of the century to travel around the world painting? Their works offer a glimpse into life and society in those times and still fetch a handsome price today.”
Weeks’ Two Nautch Girls was sold for close to ₹5 crore at auction earlier this year. “Every painting has a story to tell and are rich in nuggets of information. And it is never ending as there is far more art in the world than one can consume in a lifetime.”
Browsing through the site will eventually get you to their movie posters section, even if that is not your original intent. Over 2,000 posters ranging from classic Indian hits to vintage Hollywood as well as some of their foreign language releases abound; facetious minimalist movie posters complete the segment.
According to Praveen, when Hollywood movies were released in Thailand they came out unofficially which meant there were no Thai versions of the movie poster. “This gave rise to a subculture of hand-painted random posters in Thai. Someone would create artwork, most of them were poor in quality and context as not many knew English there, and then print a few 100 copies to create publicity. Hindi films were similarly promoted in villages and small towns back in the day.”
Today, the original posters are rare, but even prints are worth a pretty sum and are sought by collectors, sociologists, anthropologists and the like, he says.
As part of their services, Tallenge frames and delivers orders if required.
Tallenge is at 663 2nd Floor, 5th Cross Rd, 4th Block, Koramangala. Catalogue of artists and posters available at tallengestore.com
Making a statement
In the heart of the city, tucked away into one of its smaller lanes is Montage. Here, works of art line the walls and are neatly stacked, giving you a chance to browse. Since most of these are reproductions, the sizes range from the standard to customisable and customers can view their options online.
While this gallery on Lavelle Road showcases paintings, murals and more, Arte’Venue serves as the company’s e-commerce platform dedicated to art prints. According to Neeraj Dugar, co-founder of Arte’venue, their website displays the work of more than 5,000 artists worldwide, working with the estates or publishing houses of those deceased.
“We have the requisite licenses to print these, and apart from fixed sizes of which we have four to five variations, we also give customers the opportunity to decorate odd-sized niches with art painted to fit that space.”
Besides reproductions, Montage offers a paper or canvas option for prints. For instance, one can find The Kiss by Gustav Klimt mounted on a round canvas here.
“One can use the customisation tab on the website or come to the store to decide on the medium they prefer. If someone has a fondness for a particular artist we have a team to replicate his masterpieces,” says Neeraj, adding all the artists come from a fine arts background.
“We identify talented artists from across the country who are proficient in specific styles of painting and offer clients options to tweak favourites. That way, customers get exclusive art inspired by the original and as unusual as it may sound, there is a market for this. It also offers many struggling artists a chance at employment even as they wait for their own work to get recognised.”
Old Bengalureans may remember Blue Spade, a fine arts gallery; that was forerunner to Montage which has been in business for over 10 years now. “We realised there was a rather small market for fine arts and while most could not afford it, everybody wanted something for their walls. That is how we began Montage, with Arte’Venue as our online platform.”
Montage also extends curation services as well as mirror framing and interior decoration.
Arte’venue by Montage is at 54, Vittal Mallya Road. Log into artevenue.com for details
Get framed
There is no point owning a cherished print if you do not have a suitable frame to offset its beauty. While most stores offer the ubiquitous frames in neutral shades of black, white, metallic and wood tones, Van Gogh’s Arts & Frames gives you the chance to add a pop of colour to your wall art.
From the outside, it seems unlikely this unassuming store on Swami Vivekananda Road, would offer anything other than the tried and tested. Yet, pista green, bright red, royal blue and candy yellow are few of the many frame hues available here.
Started by 1992 in Abdul Aziz, Van Gogh’s is now run by his son Abdul Jaleel MK and business partner Yusuf K, who say they offer clients close to 1,600 frame styles. “We originally set up shop on Shivajinagar’s Central Street, but at one point, there were around 14 frame makers in the area. It was getting too crowded so we moved to this location in 2002,” says Abdul Jaleel.
The shop, which opens out on the road, is small and bustles with staff nimbly stepping around framed art to attend to customers. The walls and worktables showcase many coloured frames which are a welcome change from the usual staid shades found in most places.
Van Gogh’s site has a small selection of wall art where customers can place orders for prints and frames, with a provision for video calls when one may not be able to visit the store as well as limited delivery options, though Abdul admits the in-person experience is quite often preferred by both parties.
“Apart from regular glass, we have non-reflective options and museum-grade sheet glass that offers UV protection for framed art work. Our teak and rosewood frames are highly sought after too,” he says.
Van Gogh’s Art & Frames is at Trinity Church complex, Swamy Vivekananda Road, opposite Lido Mall. Details available at vangoghartsandframes.com
Published - August 12, 2026 05:37 pm IST