Prints & Multiples

Graphics: A definition

Many people have little idea what the term graphics (also known as graphics) means. While younger people tend to associate it with animated computer games, the older generation often understands it to mean pencil drawings.

To be precise, however, the word graphics is the umbrella term for all artistic and technical images. Typographies are also part of graphics. Nowadays, the term also refers to artistic printmaking, which is used almost everywhere.

The long tradition of printmaking

The first graphic techniques were not used by famous artists, but to produce a wide variety of devotional images for churches as well as for private use. It was only in the middle of the 15th century, when copperplate engraving, which is still famous worldwide today, was developed, that prints became increasingly popular among artists of the time. One of its most famous representatives was Albrecht Dürer, who brought a wide variety of copperplate engravings to perfection. Many of them are still extremely famous today. For example, the picture "The Two Leaves, Knight Death and the Devil" and the print "Melancolia I".

Over the following centuries, printmaking was constantly developed further and numerous new processes were added. Another major breakthrough is known today as "lithography". It was invented by Alois Senefelder in 1803 and is considered to be the oldest planographic printing process in the world, which enabled the widespread use of printing plates.

Printmaking processes at a glance

In addition to the aforementioned lithography and historical copperplate engraving, we would like to mention a few other printing processes that have been used over the course of time to produce valuable prints. For example, through-printing or screen printing or letterpress printing, which uses various cutting processes. Other historical representatives are woodcut, shot cut and linocut. Intaglio printing, which in turn can be divided into etching and manual engraving, was also a popular method of producing graphics for a long time. Nowadays, the range of graphic processes is so wide that it is easy to lose track.

Valuable graphics

Now we come to the actual topic! Due to the long tradition of printmaking, countless pieces of art have been created over the centuries that are still of great value today and are highly sought after by numerous collectors.

It is not without reason that you will currently find over 200 valuable prints from a wide variety of artists and styles in our excellent range. Some of them belong to modern art, while others come from much older eras. One historical print in our range, for example, is "The Tricktrack Player" from the 17th century by Ostade Adriaen.

As varied as the individual valuable prints are, so too are their prices. Some exhibits only cost a small three-figure sum, while other works of art are worth several thousand euros. The price is calculated according to age, artist, condition and, of course, image.

Original prints: Do they even exist?

As prints are not normally drawn by hand, the question of originality automatically arises. Is this even the case with valuable prints? Yes, it is! In this case, the artist must have made the print himself, i.e. he must have used the printing medium himself. In addition, the particular characteristics of the printing process must be used as a means of expression for the image design. In other words, original prints should not only be printed by the artist himself, but should also be produced again and again using the same printing process that perfectly matches the respective image.

The long tradition of printmaking

The first graphic techniques were not used by famous artists, but to produce a wide variety of devotional images for churches as well as for private use. It was not until the middle of the 15th century, when copperplate engraving, which is still famous worldwide today, was developed, that prints became increasingly popular among artists of the time. One of its most famous representatives was Albrecht Dürer, who brought a wide variety of copperplate engravings to perfection. Many of them are still extremely famous today. For example, the picture "The Two Leaves, Knight Death and the Devil" and the print "Melancolia I".

Over the following centuries, printmaking was constantly developed further and numerous new processes were added. Another major breakthrough is known today as "lithography". It was invented by Alois Senefelder in 1803 and is considered to be the oldest planographic printing process in the world, enabling the widespread use of printing plates.

Overview of printing processes

In addition to the aforementioned lithography and historical copperplate engraving, we would like to mention a few other printing processes that have been used over the course of time to produce valuable prints. For example, through-printing or screen printing or letterpress printing, which uses various cutting processes. Other historical representatives are woodcut, shot cut and linocut. Intaglio printing, which in turn can be divided into etching and manual engraving, was also a popular method of producing graphics for a long time. Nowadays, the range of graphic processes is so wide that it is easy to lose track.

Valuable graphics

Now we come to the actual topic! Due to the long tradition of printmaking, countless pieces of art have been created over the centuries that are still of great value today and are highly sought after by numerous collectors.

It is not without reason that you will currently find over 200 valuable prints from a wide variety of artists and styles in our excellent range. Some of them belong to modern art, while others come from much older eras. One historical print in our range, for example, is "The Trick Tracker" from the 17th century by Ostade Adriaen.

As varied as the individual valuable prints are, so too are their prices. Some exhibits only cost a small three-figure sum, while other works of art are worth several thousand euros. The price is calculated according to age, artist, condition and, of course, image.

Original prints: Do they even exist?

As prints are not normally drawn by hand, the question of originality automatically arises. Is this even the case with valuable prints? Yes, it is! In this case, the artist must have made the print himself, i.e. he must have used the printing medium himself. In addition, the particular characteristics of the printing process must be used as a means of expression for the image design. In other words, original prints should not only be printed by the artist himself, but should also be produced again and again using the same printing process that perfectly matches the respective image.