For today’s class we went to the art museum where we discussed printmaking and the techniques involved in the process. We started off by looking at prints from an early printed book, where woodcut on paper had been delicately painted over, transforming it into what appeared to be an illuminated manuscript. We delved deeper into printmaking, and discussed the two main families: relief and intaglio. The relief technique, where what remains in relief is what’s printed on paper, left me thinking about how the block that is carved onto is a flipped version of the finished product. I wonder if artists had a way to help mitigate the confusion they might have encountered when creating art pieces. In contrast to relief is intaglio with its intricate copper plates and acid baths, helped artists create finely detailed prints.
Among the works that we discussed were masterpieces by renowned artists such as Albrecht Dürer, Hendrik Goltzius, Jacques Callot, Rembrandt van Rijn, and Giovanni Battista Piranesi. Each artist demonstrated their unique style of printmaking techniques, from cross-hatching and varying line widths to experimenting with ink washes and etching that mimicked engravings which we observed using magnifying glasses. I was intrigued by the sample made by Colby students which the Professor showed us. I hope to explore similar mediums in the future.