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 generally considered the first to have used acid to etch on iron plates at the end of the fifteenth century (the Italians later introduced copper plates).
Artists mastered printmaking relatively quickly. This is not surprising, since a print designed by a master such as Titian or Mantegna and rendered by an expert woodcutter or engraver could reach a great many people, some of whom might become patrons. Printmaking also appealed to civic leaders, who exploited its potential as propaganda for emphasizing the size and sophistication