Albrecht Dürer, Lucas van Leyden, Peter Paul Rubens, Giovanni Battista Tiepolo and Sir Thomas Lawrence owe their reputation largely to printmaking. Since 20 January, Rijksmuseum has put these artists’ prints and those of many others on display.
Peter Paul Rubens was aware of the power of printmaking too. In his studio, he showed his employees how to copy his paintings. He would then correct the drawings if necessary and hire engravers to commit them to print. These high-quality reproductions were subsequently distributed across Europe. Giovanni Battista Tiepolo, one of the most famous painters of 18-century Venice, ran a family business with his two sons. All three were masters of etching. The two sons turned countless of their father’s paintings and frescoes into etchings.
Rijksmuseum has put a selection of approximately forty prints on display, from the 16th century when printing was in its infancy, through to the 19th century when painters experimented with various printing techniques.
The pieces in the five Rijksmuseum print cabinets are changed several times a year. This gives us the opportunity to display a wider range of artwork and objects from the Print Room’s rich collection.
The Eternal Fame exhibit can be seen from 20 January 2017 until 23 July 2017 in the various print cabinets on every floor.
