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How can you tell a lithograph from an etching?

1 Answer
How can you tell a lithograph from an etching?
To tell a lithograph from an etching, look closely along the edges of the print. Etching is a way of incising lines on a metal plate by first drawing on an acid-resistant coating, or ground, to reveal the metal beneath. Lithography uses a stone rather than a plate. As a result, etchings will usually have a faint imprint or indentation called a plate mark, while a lithograph will not. Researching the artist using trusted online resources may also be helpful, as some printmakers worked exclusively with etchings or lithographs. Find a large selection of lithographs and etchings on 1stDibs.
1stDibs ExpertOctober 24, 2024
Shop for Art by Medium: Lithograph on 1stDibs
"Apparition at the Border of Language"
Located in Lyons, CO
This print presents a fictitious encounter between contemporary colonial forces and Native Americans who are defenders of immigrant refugees and displaced populations. The artist de...
Category

2010s Contemporary More Prints

Materials

Lithograph

"L'Artisan Moderne" lithograph poster
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: lithograph (after the poster). Printed in Paris in 1950 by Mourlot Freres, this multi-stone color lithograph faithfully reproduces the original Toulouse-Lautrec poster in a s...
Category

1950s Prints and Multiples

Materials

Lithograph

"Le port de New York" original lithograph
Located in Henderson, NV
Medium: original lithograph. Printed in Paris in 1964 by Mourlot Freres and issued in an edition of 2000 on Arches wove paper. Size: 10 x 7 1/2 inches (255 x 185 mm). Not signed.
Category

1960s Prints and Multiples

Materials

Lithograph

La Pecheresse (Sinner, Figurative, Sensual, Symbolism, 45% OFF - MUST GO)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Paul Wunderlich La Pecheresse 1967 Lithograph on Arches with deckled edges Sheet Size: 22.25 x 14.9 inches (56.52 × 37.85 cm) Matted Size: 26.25 x 19.5 inches (66.68 × 49.53 cm) Edition: 19 of 85 Signed and numbered in pencil Ref.: Brusberg 255 Gallery-issued COA provided *Could come in its original frame - see images. Please inquiry for additional shipping charges. Framed Size: 28 x 21 x 0.825 inches (71.12 × 53.34 × 2.10 cm). Paul Wunderlich’s lithograph...
Category

1960s Modern Portrait Prints

Materials

Handmade Paper, Lithograph

Untitled Composition (Poligrafa, Mexican, Modern, Latin America, ~34% OFF)
Located in Kansas City, MO
Rufino Tamayo Untitled Composition from "Ediciones Poligrafa, Barcelona at Redfern Gallery, London" Original Color Lithograph Year: 1979 Edition: 100 Size: 10 x 7.325 inches (25.4 × 18.61 cm) Edition: 82/100 Unsigned and not individually numbered Publisher: La Poligrafa S.A., Barcelona, Spain Printer: La Poligrafa S.A., Barcelona, Spain Copy of the Imprint Page with Edition Number included Gallery-issued COA provided upon request *Could come framed in a simple white/black/natural frame made from composite wood with standard plex for an additional $45. See example images. Please inquire. Rufino Tamayo was among the internationally recognized artists featured in the Ediciones Polígrafa exhibition at the Redfern Gallery, London, held from December 4, 1979 to January 31, 1980. Organized in collaboration with the Barcelona-based publisher Polígrafa, the exhibition highlighted a broad spectrum of modern printmaking, bringing together leading figures whose graphic works expanded the boundaries of contemporary art. Tamayo’s contribution reflects his distinctive synthesis of Mexican cultural identity with international modernist language. Unlike many of his contemporaries in Mexican muralism, Tamayo favored a more universal and poetic visual vocabulary over overt political narrative. His prints—often executed as lithographs—are characterized by bold chromatic contrasts, textured surfaces, and simplified, almost cosmic figuration. Themes such as humanity, mythology, celestial bodies, and existential reflection recur throughout his work, conveyed through a restrained yet powerful formal language. Within the context of the Polígrafa exhibition, Tamayo’s prints underscored the global dialogue between tradition and modernity, situating his work alongside that of artists such as Joan Miró, Antoni Tàpies, and Eduardo Chillida. His inclusion reaffirmed his position as one of the most significant Latin American artists of the 20th century and a key figure in the evolution of modern printmaking. Rufino Tamayo lithograph...
Category

1970s Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

Water Serpents II-Lithograph offset print-dry seal-plate signed-Germany edition
Located in London, GB
This is a rare edition published in 2022-23 coincide the exhibition in Euro. This high quality fine art lithograph paint is in mint condition, never been exposed to light and have be...
Category

Early 1900s Art Nouveau Figurative Prints

Materials

Lithograph

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