Old Master Engraving
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"Allegory of Justice": A 17th Century Old Master Engraving by van Swanenburg
By Willem van Swanenburg
Located in Alamo, CA
This old master engraving entitled "Allegorie op de Rechtspraak" is by Willem van Swaanenburg after a painting by Joachim Wtewael, published by Christoffel van Sichem I in Amsterdam ...
Category
Early 1600s Old Masters Interior Prints
Materials
Engraving
Platinum Square Sapphire Eternity Band with Old Master Engraving
By OGI Ltd
Located in New York, NY
Platinum eternity ring with princess-cut sapphire
Hand engraved by old master engraver
Sapphires weighing 2.75 carat
Rings are available in all sizes, half sizes, and quarter sizes
...
Category
2010s Contemporary Band Rings
Materials
Blue Sapphire, Sapphire, Platinum
Platinum Baguette Diamond 3.00 Carats TW Eternity Band with Old Master Engraving
By OGI Ltd
Located in New York, NY
Platinum baguette-shaped diamond channel set eternity wedding or anniversary ring
Baguette Diamond weight 3.10 carat
Baguette diamond measuring 2.5 by 3.4-3.5 millimeter
Old Master...
Category
2010s Contemporary Band Rings
Materials
Diamond, Platinum
'Jesus and the Woman at the Well,' by Amand-Durand, Engraving
By Armand Durand
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
This early 19th century framed 35" x 31" engraving by artist Amand-Durand depcits an etching of 'Jesus and the Woman at the Well,' after the Dutch master, Rembrandt van Rijn. This p...
Category
Early 19th Century Old Masters Figurative Prints
Materials
Engraving
H 35 in. W 31 in. D 2.5 in.
Three Old Master Steel Engravings, after Pierre Jean Mariette 1694-1774
Located in Hallowell, ME
Priced for the group of three. You can frame them. margins clipped I assume 9" x 6.25"
Category
17th Century Old Masters Figurative Prints
Materials
Black and White
Round Diamond Platinum Eternity Band with Old Master Hand Engraving
By OGI Ltd
Located in New York, NY
Platinum round diamond channel set eternity wedding or anniversary ring
Round Diamond weighing 0.60 carats
Old Master hand engraving with milgrain edge
Diamond quality G VS
New Ring...
Category
2010s Contemporary Wedding Rings
Materials
Diamond, Platinum
Platinum Channel Set Diamond Eternity Band with Old Master Hand Engraving
By OGI Ltd
Located in New York, NY
Platinum channel set wedding band or stacking ring
Hand engraved by old master hand engraver
Diamond weighing 1.08 carats
Diamond quality G VS
Ring size 6
The ring cannot be sized...
Category
2010s Contemporary Band Rings
Materials
Diamond, Platinum
A 17th Century Dutch engraving 'Mein Greit; Mein Greit'
Located in Petworth, West Sussex
Julius Goltzius (Dutch c.1550-1595)
Mein Greit; Mein Greit
Engraving
6.5/8 x 11.3/8 in. (16.8 x 29 cm.) (measured to slip edge)
Christie’s have suggested this impression is from the ...
Category
17th Century Old Masters Figurative Prints
Materials
Engraving
H 6.63 in. W 11.38 in. D 1 in.
Portrait of a Man an Engraving by Wenceslaus Hollar
By Wenceslaus Hollar
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Portrait of a Man" is an engraving after Hans Holbein by Wenceslaus von Prochna Hollar. It depicts a man in traditional dress for the mid-17th century: A flat hat, large shirt, and ...
Category
Mid-17th Century Old Masters Portrait Prints
Materials
Engraving
H 15.75 in. W 14.75 in.
Pair of 18Th Century Botanical Engravings
By Johann Wilhelm Weinmann
Located in Delray Beach, FL
Pair of rare Botanical Hand Colored Engravings about 1737-1745
Beautifully framed French hand painted mat, in gold leaf frame each print measure 9.5x14.5
Johann Wilhelm Weinmann (1...
Category
Early 18th Century Old Masters Still-life Prints
Materials
Engraving
San Benedetto Con Altri Nanti, religious engraving after Veronese, circa 1700
Located in Melbourne, Victoria
Religious copper-line engraving by CM after Francesco Petrucci after (Paolo Caliari) Veronese. Depicts Saint Benedict and other holy figures.
Paolo Veronese (1528 - 1588) was an Ita...
Category
Early 1700s Old Masters Portrait Prints
Materials
Engraving
'Portrait of M. Morett,' original Wenceslaus Hollar engraving after Hans Holbein
By Wenceslaus Hollar
Located in Milwaukee, WI
In this print, Wenceslaus Hollar presents a portrait of Charles de Solier, comte de Morette, copying a painting and a drawing by Hans Holbein the Younger - both of which are kept in ...
Category
17th Century Old Masters Portrait Prints
Materials
Engraving
"Woman in a European National Dress," original engraving by W. Hollar
By Wenceslaus Hollar
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Woman in a European National Dress" is an engraving by Wenceslaus Von Prachna Hollar. It depicts a woman in proper dress for the mid 1600s; she wears a feathered hat with a veil to ...
Category
Mid-17th Century Old Masters Figurative Prints
Materials
Engraving
'Portrait of Henrico van der Borcht,' original W. Hollar engraving after Holbein
By Wenceslaus Hollar
Located in Milwaukee, WI
In this print, Wenceslaus Hollar presents a portrait of D. Henrico van der Borcht, copying a painting or drawing by Hans Holbein. Copying works of famous masters was a common task of...
Category
17th Century Old Masters Portrait Prints
Materials
Engraving
A Panel of Ornament, Putti Standing on Cornucopia in Lower Section
Located in Santa Monica, CA
MASTER OF THE DIE (Fl. 1530-6)
after Perino Buonaccorsi (Italian Florence 1501-1547) (Bartch XV.232.84)
Published by Antonio Salamanca (Rome 1478-1562)
Engraving, Sheet 8 1/4 x 5 ...
Category
16th Century Old Masters Figurative Prints
Materials
Engraving
18th Century Satirical Engraving by William Hogarth
By William Hogarth
Located in Alamo, CA
A framed original satirical etching/engraving by William Hogarth, entitled "Some Principal Inhabitants of ye Moon: Royalty, Episcopacy and Law", originally published in London in 176...
Category
Mid-18th Century Old Masters Interior Prints
Materials
Engraving, Etching
H 22 in. W 19 in. D 1.13 in.
View of Venice, including Gondolas, 18th Century Hand Colored Engraving
By Pieter Van Der Aa
Located in Alamo, CA
An early 18th century hand colored engraving of a scene of the city of Venice, Italy entitled "Palazzo Lin, a. S. Samuele sopra il Canal Grande". It depicts Venetian architecture, wa...
Category
1720s Old Masters Landscape Prints
Materials
Engraving
H 18.5 in. W 21 in. D 1.25 in.
Besler Hand Colored Botanical Engraving of Wood Pink & Cottage Pink Flowers
Located in Alamo, CA
A 17th century hand-colored copper plate engraving entitled "Caryophyllus Maior Sylve Strisvarie Gatus" (Wood Pink & Cottage Pink Flowers) from Basilius Besler's landmark work, Hortu...
Category
17th Century Old Masters Figurative Prints
Materials
Engraving
H 31 in. W 27 in. D 1 in.
17th Century Engraving of "The Heidelberg Tun", a Huge Wine Cask
Located in Alamo, CA
"The Heidelberg Tun" is a 17th century engraving by an unknown artist. It depicts a famous huge ornamental wine cask that resided in the wine cellar of Heidelberg Castle. The cask s...
Category
Late 17th Century Old Masters Interior Prints
Materials
Engraving
H 22.94 in. W 27.13 in. D 1.25 in.
"Tempio Della Pace," Original 17th Century Engraving by Israel Silvestre
By Israel Silvestre
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Tempio Della Pace" is an original engraving by Israel Silvestre. The title is printed below the miniature image. It shows a frontal view of the remains of the Temple of Peace in Rom...
Category
1650s Old Masters Landscape Prints
Materials
Paper, Ink, Engraving
Besler Autumn Snowflake and Meadow Saffron Flowers: 17th C. Botanical Engraving
Located in Alamo, CA
A hand-colored copperplate engraving entitled "Leucoium bulbosum autumnale tenufolium (Autumn Snowflake); Colchicum vulgare Polyanthos; Colchicum biflorum; Colchicum vulgare album; C...
Category
17th Century Old Masters Figurative Prints
Materials
Engraving
Basilius BeslerBesler Autumn Snowflake and Meadow Saffron Flowers: 17th C. Botanical Engraving, 1613
H 29.63 in. W 26.38 in. D 1 in.
"Limon Straitus Amalphitanus" Ferrari 17th C. Hand Colored Engraving of Lemons
By Giovanni Battista Ferrari
Located in Alamo, CA
This 17th century hand-colored engraving of a lemon entitled "Limon Straitus Amalphitanus" is Plate 249 from Giovanni Baptista Ferrari's publication "Hesperides, sive, De Malorum Aur...
Category
17th Century Old Masters Figurative Prints
Materials
Engraving
H 23.25 in. W 18.5 in. D 0.75 in.
Set of 3 Copper Plate Engravings, by Giovanni Battista Piranesi
By Giovanni Battista Piranesi
Located in New York, NY
G. B. Piranesi in his fifties was interested in archaeology and studied in Southern Italy where he produced drawings of Greek architecture
Category
18th Century Old Masters More Art
Materials
Engraving, Handmade Paper
H 32 in. W 22 in. D 1 in.
'Portrait of a Young Woman' original Hollar engraving after Hans Holbein
By Wenceslaus Hollar
Located in Milwaukee, WI
In this print, Wenceslaus Hollar presents a portrait of an unidentified woman, copying a portrait by Hans Holbein the Younger. The identity of the sitter is a mystery: formerly, the ...
Category
17th Century Old Masters Portrait Prints
Materials
Engraving
Besler Red Roses, "Rosa ex rubro": A 17th C. Hand-colored Botanical Engraving
Located in Alamo, CA
"Rosa ex rubro nigricans"; a hand colored copper engraving from Basilius Besler's landmark work, Hortus Eystettensis (Garden at Eichstatt), first published in 1613 in Eichstatt, Germ...
Category
17th Century Old Masters Figurative Prints
Materials
Engraving
H 29.75 in. W 26.38 in. D 1.13 in.
St. Peter's Square in Basel: 17th Century Engraving by Matthäus Merian
By Matthäus Merian the Elder
Located in Alamo, CA
"Campus Divi Petri qui est Basileae" (St. Peter's Platz in Basel) is a 17th century engraving by the old master engraver Matthäus Merian the Elder. It was published as plate 37 in Me...
Category
1650s Old Masters Landscape Prints
Materials
Engraving
H 15.25 in. W 19.94 in. D .63 in.
Curia Hostilia, Rome Italy. Jacobs Lauro 17th century engraving
Located in Melbourne, Victoria
Lauro produced a series of engravings of the ancient monuments of Classical Rome with detailed descriptions in Latin below.
The Curia Hostilia, was the original Senate House of Rome...
Category
Early 17th Century Old Masters Landscape Prints
Materials
Engraving, Etching
"Harbour Scene," Engraving Landscape signed by Claude Gellee (Le Lorrain)
By Claude Lorrain
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Harbour Scene" is an engraving by Claude Gellee (Le Lorrain). The artist signed the piece in plate lower left.
7 3/4" x 9 5/8" art
18 1/8" x 20 1/4" frame
Lorrain was born in 1604...
Category
Mid-17th Century Old Masters Landscape Prints
Materials
Engraving
H 18.125 in. W 20.25 in.
Grouping of Three 18th C. Engravings of Ancient Roman Statues in the Vatican
By Vincenzo Dolcibene
Located in Alamo, CA
A grouping of three antique engravings depicting statues found in the Vatican, including: "Pescatore" (Fisherman), "Pastore" and "Istrione", "Gia nella Villa Mattei" (Found in the Vi...
Category
1780s Old Masters Still-life Prints
Materials
Engraving
H 28 in. W 21.13 in. D 1 in.
Engraving "Attaque avec le Belier" (Attack with a Battering Ram) by Montfaucon
Located in Alamo, CA
This early original copper-plate engraving entitled "Attaque avec le Belier" from 'L'antiquité expliquée et représentée en figures' (Antiquity Explained and Represented in Diagrams),...
Category
Early 18th Century Old Masters Landscape Prints
Materials
Engraving
H 21.88 in. W 25.5 in. D .88 in.
Set of Two 18th Century Engravings from William Hogarth's "Analysis of Beauty"
By William Hogarth
Located in Alamo, CA
The two plates in this set were created utilizing both engraving and etching techniques by William Hogarth in 1753, originally as illustrations of his book on aesthetics, entitled "A...
Category
Mid-18th Century Old Masters Interior Prints
Materials
Etching, Engraving
William HogarthSet of Two 18th Century Engravings from William Hogarth's "Analysis of Beauty" , 1753
H 27.38 in. W 31.25 in. D 1.13 in.
Column of Antoninus Pius, Rome Italy. Jacobs Lauro 17th century engraving
Located in Melbourne, Victoria
Lauro produced a series of engravings of the ancient monuments of Classical Rome with detailed descriptions in Latin below.
180mm by 240mm (plate mark)
240mm by 345mm (sheet)
Category
Early 17th Century Old Masters Landscape Prints
Materials
Engraving, Etching
H 9.45 in. W 13.59 in.
William Hogarth's "Four Times of the Day": Series of Four Framed Engravings
By William Hogarth
Located in Alamo, CA
The four plates in this "Four Times of the Day" set were created utilizing both engraving and etching techniques by William Hogarth in 1738. Hogarth's original copper plates were ref...
Category
Mid-18th Century Old Masters Landscape Prints
Materials
Engraving, Etching
H 25.75 in. W 22.25 in. D 1.88 in.
An Early 17th Century Engraving "The Card Game" by A. Voet after Cornelis de Vos
By Alexander Voet
Located in Alamo, CA
A 17th century engraving entitled "The Card Game" by old master artist Alexander de Voet after a painting by Cornelis de Vos, created in 1632. The painting by de Vos is in The Nation...
Category
1630s Old Masters Interior Prints
Materials
Engraving
An 18th C. Religious Engraving of the Gift of the Magi by Vale, After Calmarat
Located in Alamo, CA
A very rare early 18th century old master religious themed engraving entitled "Les Mages...Trouverent l'Enfant avec Marie sa Mere, et se prosternant entere ils l'adorent Puis ouvrant...
Category
Early 18th Century Old Masters Portrait Prints
Materials
Engraving
Three Engravings Of Soldiers - Original Etching - 18th Century
Located in Roma, IT
Three Engravings Of Soldiers are original etching artworks, very fine impressions on laid paper, from the 'Diverse figure' series.
Very good condition. The number 35 with a fragment...
Category
18th Century Old Masters Figurative Prints
Materials
Etching
H 10.63 in. W 7.49 in. D 0.08 in.
Four Engravings from 'Emblemi di Achille Bocchi" - Original Etching -1555
Located in Roma, IT
Four engravings from 'Emblemi di Achille Bocchi', realized in 1555, are original Engravings.
Dimension: 17 x 12,5 cm each.
Four sheets from Achillis Bocchii's 'Symbolicarum quaestio...
Category
16th Century Old Masters Figurative Prints
Materials
Etching
H 6.7 in. W 4.93 in. D 0.08 in.
Antique Copper Engraving of an Officer of Pikeman by Francis Grose
By Francis Grose
Located in New York, NY
Francis Grose entered the army early in life and served in the cavalry, infantry, and militia. He produced some compelling and sought after engravings on subjects including ancient a...
Category
19th Century Old Masters Figurative Prints
Materials
Lithograph
H 13.75 in. W 11 in. D 1 in.
Pair 17th Century Medical Anatomy Engravings by Francesco Valesio
Located in Rochester, NY
Two anatomical copper engravings by Francesco Valesio. From De humani corporis fabrica libri decem
Evangelista Deuchino, On laid paper. 17th Century
Category
17th Century Old Masters Nude Prints
Materials
Laid Paper
H 15 in. W 10 in. D .1 in.
17th century flemish engraving of fishes in front of a landscape - Fish Animal
By Adriaen Collaert
Located in Antwerp, BE
Pair of rare flemish 16th / 17th century engraving depicting fishes and other sea animals such as lobsters and crabs in front of a fantastical, elaborate landscape. This late 16th to...
Category
17th Century Old Masters Animal Prints
Materials
Paper
17th Century Hand-colored Botanical Engraving of a Strawberry Plant by Merian
By Matthaeus Merian
Located in Alamo, CA
This is a beautiful and striking hand-colored botanical woodcut engraving by the old master artist Matthaeus Merian, entitled "Erdbeer Kraut, Fragaria", published in his book "Die fr...
Category
Mid-17th Century Old Masters Landscape Prints
Materials
Woodcut
Matthaeus Merian17th Century Hand-colored Botanical Engraving of a Strawberry Plant by Merian , 1646
H 10.88 in. W 9.88 in. D 0.13 in.
New Map of the Terraqueous Globe - WORLD MAP - CALIFORNIA AS AN ISLAND
By Edward Wells
Located in Santa Monica, CA
EDWARD WELLS (British 1667- 1727)
A NEW MAP of the TERRAQUEOUS GLOBE - according to the latest Discoveries and most general Divisions of it into CONTINENTS and OCEANS, 1700-01 (Sh...
Category
Early 1700s Old Masters Landscape Prints
Materials
Engraving
H 14.25 in. W 20.125 in.
Young Couple Threatened by Death
By Albrecht Dürer
Located in San Francisco, CA
Original engraving printed in black ink on laid paper
Signed in the plate with the artist's monogram lower center.
A clear and sharp 16th century Meder "e" (of “k”) impression of t...
Category
1840s Old Masters Figurative Prints
Materials
Engraving
Tobias and the Angel
By Hendrik Goudt
Located in Chicago, IL
References:
Bartsch, Dutuit and Hollstein 2
Category
17th Century Old Masters Prints and Multiples
Materials
Engraving
Landscape with Roman Ruins
By (After) Peter Paul Rubens
Located in Chicago, IL
Engraving after Peter Paul Rubens (Siegen 1577 - 1640 Antwerp), executed by Schelte Adams Bolswert (Bolsward c. 1586 -1659 Antwerp).
Bolswert was one of the major printmakers in the ...
Category
17th Century Old Masters Landscape Prints
Materials
Engraving
Landscape with the Prophets Ahias and Jerobeam
Located in Chicago, IL
Engraving after David Vinckboons (Malines 1576-1629 Amsterdam), executed by James Van Londerseel (Antwerp c. 1570 - 1624/25 Rotterdam)
Category
17th Century Old Masters Prints and Multiples
Materials
Engraving
H 13.75 in. W 19.25 in.
St. Jerome in the Desert
Located in Chicago, IL
Engraving by Joannes and Lucas van Doetecum (Deventer active by 1551 - circa 1569 Haarlem) in the manner of Peter Bruegel the Elder
Category
16th Century Old Masters Landscape Prints
Materials
Engraving
Christ and His Disciples Harvesting on the Sabbath
Located in Chicago, IL
Engraving after David Vinckboons (Malines 1576-1629 Amsterdam), executed by Jan van Londerseel (Antwerp c. 1570-1624/25 Rotterdam)
Category
17th Century Old Masters Prints and Multiples
Materials
Engraving
The Entombment of Christ
Located in Storrs, CT
The Entombment of Christ. c.1580-1620. Engraving. 9 1/4 x 7 (236 x 177 mm). Collector's seal verso: Knoedler and Co. OE (Old engravings Lugt 2007). Inscriptions: Rim of the sarcophag...
Category
16th Century Old Masters Figurative Prints
Materials
Engraving
Allegorical Figure, Holding a Ball
By Giorgio Mantovano Ghisi
Located in Chicago, IL
Provenance:
Edouard Schultze (Lugt 906)
References:
Bartsch 34
Boorsch & Lewis 38
Notes:
A fine impression of this engraving. Boorsch and Lewis state that this work dates from “the...
Category
16th Century Old Masters Figurative Prints
Materials
Engraving
Panel with a Mascaron
By Hans Sebald Beham
Located in New York, NY
Hans Sebald Beham (1500-1550), Panel with a Mascaron, engraving, 1543 [with the initials monogram and date in the plate]. Reference: Bartsch 231, Hollstein 235. Second state (of 2). ...
Category
16th Century Old Masters Portrait Prints
Materials
Engraving
Vidit Mouses Vitulum
Located in Paonia, CO
Vidit Mouses Vitulum, et Choros, iratusque proijecit de manu Tabulas ad radicem mortis is an engraving by Dom Cunego (1503-1540) after Parmigianino. It is a powerful image of Mos...
Category
16th Century Old Masters Figurative Prints
Materials
Engraving
Two Trophies With a Cuirass Lower Left
By Enea Vico
Located in New York, NY
Enea Vico (1523-1567) engraving, Two Trophies With a Cuirass Lower Left, 1550, Bartsch 449, with the name of the publisher Ant[onio] Lafreri at bottom, first state (of 2) before numb...
Category
16th Century Old Masters Figurative Prints
Materials
Engraving
Portrait of Hans Bol, the Painter, at the age of 58
By Hendrik Goltzius
Located in New York, NY
Hendrick Goltzius (1558-1617), engraving, 1593 [with extensive inscription in the plate]. Reference: Bartsch 161, Hollstein 177, second state (of two). In very good condition (old hi...
Category
16th Century Old Masters Portrait Prints
Materials
Engraving
Coat of Arms with Lion and a Cock
By Albrecht Dürer
Located in New York, NY
Albrecht Durer (1471-1528), Coat of Arms with Lion and a Cock, engraving, c. 1502-3, 7 5/16 x 4 5/8 inches. With the monogram; no date, with border lines. Meder 97, Hollstein 97. In ...
Category
16th Century Old Masters Figurative Prints
Materials
Engraving
Two Trophies with a Breast Plate and a Ram's Head
By Enea Vico
Located in New York, NY
Enea Vico (1523-1567 engraving, Two Trophies With a Breast Plate and a Ram’s Head, 1550, Bartsch 447, with the name of the publisher Ant[onio] Lafreri at bottom, before numbers. Goo...
Category
16th Century Old Masters Figurative Prints
Materials
Engraving
Farnese Hercules
By Jacob Bos
Located in Chicago, IL
448 x 315 mm.; 17 5/8 x 12 1/4 inches
Watermark:
Eagle, close to Briquet 207 (Rome 1573-76)
Notes:
Bos was born circa 1549 in ‘s-Hertogenbosch in southern Netherlands. In French...
Category
16th Century Old Masters Nude Prints
Materials
Engraving
Altra Veduta della Piazza di S. Marco
By Albert Meyeringh
Located in Fairlawn, OH
From: "Thesaurus antiquitatum et historiarum Italiae" by Johannes Georgius
Graevius and finished by P. Burmannus, between 1704-1725, volume 7 or 8
Publisher: Petrus Van der AA
She...
Category
16th Century Old Masters Landscape Prints
Materials
Engraving
Venus and the Rose (2nd State)
By Giorgio Mantovano Ghisi
Located in Chicago, IL
Engraving after Luca Penni
Category
16th Century Old Masters Prints and Multiples
Materials
Engraving
Ornament with Armor and Two Genii
By Hans Sebald Beham
Located in New York, NY
Hans Sebald Beham (1500-1550), Ornament with Armor and Two Genii, engraving, 1544. [signed and dated in the plate lower right]. Reference: Hollstein 231, Pauli 231, first state (of 2...
Category
16th Century Old Masters Figurative Prints
Materials
Engraving
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Old Master Engraving For Sale on 1stDibs
Find the exact old master engraving you’re shopping for in the variety available on 1stDibs. Making the right choice when shopping for an old master engraving may mean carefully reviewing examples of this item dating from different eras — you can find an early iteration of this piece from the 18th Century and a newer version made as recently as the 21st Century. When looking for the right old master engraving for your space, you can search on 1stDibs by color — popular works were created in bold and neutral palettes with elements of gray, brown, beige and blue. An old master engraving from Albrecht Dürer, Kind of Cyan, Wenceslaus Hollar, Rembrandt van Rijn and Charles Amand Durand — each of whom created distinctive versions of this kind of work — is worth considering. Artworks like these — often created in engraving, etching and metal — can elevate any room of your home.
How Much is an Old Master Engraving?
An old master engraving can differ in price owing to various characteristics — the average selling price for items in our inventory is $1,552, while the lowest priced sells for $135 and the highest can go for as much as $115,000.
Finding the Right Prints and Multiples for You
Decorating with fine-art prints — whether they’re figurative prints, abstract prints or another variety — has always been a practical way of bringing a space to life as well as bringing works by an artist you love into your home.
Pursued in the 1960s and ’70s, largely by Pop artists drawn to its associations with mass production, advertising, packaging and seriality, as well as those challenging the primacy of the Abstract Expressionist brushstroke, printmaking was embraced in the 1980s by painters and conceptual artists ranging from David Salle and Elizabeth Murray to Adrian Piper and Sherrie Levine.
Printmaking is the transfer of an image from one surface to another. An artist takes a material like stone, metal, wood or wax, carves, incises, draws or otherwise marks it with an image, inks or paints it and then transfers the image to a piece of paper or other material.
Fine-art prints are frequently confused with their more commercial counterparts. After all, our closest connection to the printed image is through mass-produced newspapers, magazines and books, and many people don’t realize that even though prints are editions, they start with an original image created by an artist with the intent of reproducing it in a small batch. Fine-art prints are created in strictly limited editions — 20 or 30 or maybe 50 — and are always based on an image created specifically to be made into an edition.
Many people think of revered Dutch artist Rembrandt as a painter but may not know that he was a printmaker as well. His prints have been preserved in time along with the work of other celebrated printmakers such as Pablo Picasso, Salvador Dalí and Andy Warhol. These fine-art prints are still highly sought after by collectors.
“It’s another tool in the artist’s toolbox, just like painting or sculpture or anything else that an artist uses in the service of mark making or expressing him- or herself,” says International Fine Print Dealers Association (IFPDA) vice president Betsy Senior, of New York’s Betsy Senior Fine Art, Inc.
Because artist’s editions tend to be more affordable and available than his or her unique works, they’re more accessible and can be a great opportunity to bring a variety of colors, textures and shapes into a space.
For tight corners, select small fine-art prints as opposed to the oversized bold piece you’ll hang as a focal point in the dining area. But be careful not to choose something that is too big for your space. And feel free to lean into it if need be — not every work needs picture-hanging hooks. Leaning a larger fine-art print against the wall behind a bookcase can add a stylish installation-type dynamic to your living room. (Read more about how to arrange wall art here.)
Find the fine-art prints you’re looking for on 1stDibs today.