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Bare Wall to Bare Wall, Van Gogh Covers the Nation

Regional Differences in Artwork Tastes Dissolve

Cambridge, MA (October 5, 1999) -- As the nation becomes more diverse, its print and poster tastes are becoming increasingly homogenous, with the works of Vincent van Gogh blanketing the nation, according to the latest Barewalls Print and Poster Index (PPI).

The Barewalls PPI, developed by online print and poster retailer Barewalls (http://www.barewalls.com), measures the popularity of prints and posters nationwide and tracks trends -- how tastes in artwork change over time. The PPI was unveiled in July 1999, and this release indicates trends surfacing over the past three months. As one of the largest retailers of art prints and posters online, Barewalls has unique access to data on which selections are most popular by region.

While Van Gogh's "Starry Night" was favored by much of the nation during the last poll, it's now the top pick for every region of the United States. The most dramatic shift was in the South and Southwest where Van Gogh barely ranked previously, but now fills almost all the top slots in both regions. In fact, only three other artists' works even ranked among the top three prints and posters in any of the Barewalls's PPI's designated regions.

Rembrandt's "The Return of the Prodigal Son" ranked second in the Pacific Coast and Southwest, and third in the Mid-Atlantic region. And New England showed the most distinguishing tastes, with C.M. Coolidge's depiction of poker-playing dogs in "A Friend in Need," displacing "Eating Above Manhattan" for its number two spot and Andrew Wyeth's "Master Bedroom" remaining as the region's third favorite print.

"Based on our earlier tracking, we expected Van Gogh to maintain a strong appeal throughout much of the country," said Spira, President and co-founder of Barewalls. "But we're impressed -- and a little surprised -- to see more and more of his works making their way into more and more homes across the country."

It was not just Van Gogh's "Starry Night" that was a big hit. While not even ranked previously, Van Gogh's "Starry Night Over the Rhone", a variation in the series, made a strong entry into the PPI. This print ranked second in the Mid-Atlantic, Midwest and Mountain regions, and third in the South. Van Gogh's "The Café Terrace on the Place du Forum", which was only favored in the Mountain region previously, is now a big hit in the Midwest, Pacific Coast, Southwest and South.

The Barewalls PPI tracked nearly 40,000 purchases of prints and posters online at Barewalls since early 1997. The index also monitors recent trends in print purchases.

To learn more about regional print and poster trends and preferences, check out The Barewalls Voyeur at: http://www.barewalls.com/whatshot/voyeur.asp.

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