by Josh Ritter
Allen Memorial Art Museum (AMAM) will hold an exhibition to showcase its large collection of prints Oct. 4 through Nov. 24. Priceless works abound. Prints from such renowned artists as Rembrandt, Dürer and Toshinobu will be displayed.
"Prints," said Marjorie Wieseman, AMAM's Curator of Western Art Before 1850, "are very generally specified as multiple works of art on paper." Etchings, engravings, potato prints and silkscreens are all classified as prints.
The exhibition has taken six months to set up, and the three curators have collaborated in finding a general theme linking the prints they wish to display. Of the exhibiton's theme, Wieseman said, "We set up the exhibition to showcase the great variety of print styles and to give an idea of the strength of our collection."
The exhibition will have two main focuses: to showcase the museum's fine collection of printed art and to educate the viewer on what goes into making a print. The Ripin Print Gallery will house the exposition of the museum's finest pieces, while the Goblet Room will allow the visitor to "get up close and personal" by seeing examples and reading descriptions of some of the many printmaking processes.
According to Mason, printmaking became popular as an art form centuries ago because it was a medium which was not confined to the upper classes, but could reach the eyes of the general public due to its mass production aspect. In Japan then, one could subscribe to a series of block prints as one would to a magazine today. Likewise, Albrecht Dürer, an early 16th-century German engraver attained near-celebrity status due to his remarkable artistry and the popularity of his works.
Curator of Asian Art, Charles Mason, said, "Our intention in this exhibition is to display some of the fabulous prints that we have."
St. Jerome in his Study: This print, by Albrecht Durer, will be on display at the AMAM. (photo courtesy of the Allen Memorial Art Museum)
