When the first printed images appeared in Europe in the fifteenth century they were limited to the small size and shape of a sheet of paper that could fit in a standard printing press. By the sixteenth century, the ambition to rival paintings and to adorn wall surfaces prompted artists and printmakers to challenge these restrictions. Printed images were expanded in various ways to accommodate new formats. The exhibition will be on view from January 31, 2009 to April 26, 2009.
Large-scale woodcuts and engravings began to be printed on several sheets of paper that could be joined together to form a single picture. Some were arranged in frieze-like sequences similar to carved wall reliefs, while others were pieced together to emulate the scale of monumental murals and tapestries.
Grand Scale: Monumental Prints in the Age of Durer and Titian traces the rich history of an under-recognized aspect of Renaissance printmaking. This major loan exhibition features a diverse group of nearly 50 rarely displayed prints dating from the late 15th to the early 17th century that are all uncommonly large in scale. They are printed from two or more woodblocks or engraving plates on multiple sheets that require being viewed together. Drawn entirely from American collections, Grand Scale is the first exhibition since the 1970s to explore this facet of printmaking with examples by some of the most important artists and printmakers of their day, including Albrecht Durer (1471-1528) and Titian (c.1488-1576). Six of the works on view belong to the Museum's distinguished collection of old master prints.
Catalogue: A fully illustrated catalogue, with essays by leading scholars in the field, accompanies the exhibition.
Organizers: Grand Scale: Monumental Prints in the Age of Durer and Titian was organized by the Davis Museum and Cultural Center, Wellesley College. It was conceived and guest-curated by Larry Silver, Farquhar Professor of Art History at the University of Pennsylvania, in collaboration with Elizabeth Wyckoff, Assistant Director and Curator of Prints and Drawings, Davis Museum and Cultural Center. -- www.philamuseum.org
Comment and add to the story without registration, but keep the comments meaningful please. Links are not accepted.
