Albrecht Dürer, The Triumphal Arch of Maximilian I (1515) CourtesyThe Philadelphia Museum of Art

Printmaking has had a checkered history. Overshadowed by the spectacular effects of painting and the grandeur of sculpture, prints have often been considered works of mere craftsmanship and mechanical reproduction. While scholars and curators know better, there are still plenty of print collectors who find themselves defending their holdings against skeptics.

No skeptic, however, could resist the artistry of “Grand Scale: Monumental Prints in the Age of Dürer and Titian.” These large-scale Renaissance woodcuts and engravings changed the rules of a game that was still in its infancy. The earliest works in the exhibition date from the 1480s, just decades after the appearance of the Gutenberg Bible. Woodcuts were made in Europe as early as the 1400s, and etchings appeared around the 1480s. Daniel Hopfer, a German armorer, is ...

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