14 July 2026
Kirstie Davidson
Long before newspapers, photography and social media, the printed image transformed the pathway of information, allowing ideas, stories and discoveries to circulate throughout the world. Although techniques have evolved through the centuries, many forms of printmaking remain remarkably close to their historical origins.
Illustrated below: Roy Lichtenstein (American, 1923 to 1997) | Modern Head #1, from the Modern Head Series, 1970 | Sold for £12,500 inc premium
The earliest authenticated printed image on paper can be found in a scroll of the Diamond Sutra, an important Buddhist text, dating from 868 CE China. The technique soon spread through East Asia, finding a foothold in Japan where a rich history of Japanese printmaking would emerge, later giving rise to artists such as Hokusai and Hiroshige, and influencing generations of European artists.
The ability to reproduce text and images represented a profound shift in the dissemination of knowledge, centuries before the arrival of the printing press. This technique of woodblock printing eventually found its way to Europe in the 1400s where it was adopted by some of the most famous printmakers of all time.
To this day, Albrecht Dürer is considered one of the most skilful printmakers throughout history. Through the refinement of his technique, he achieved a depth and fluidity of line rarely seen, transforming a traditionally rigid medium to create works with unprecedented drama and atmosphere as seen in his works from The Apocalypse.
Few works show the power of printmaking, however, better than Dürer’s Rhinoceros (1515). Putting aside the artist’s unparalleled skill, his Rhinoceros is an exceptional example of how a technique which had crossed six centuries and thousands of miles would revolutionise the travel of information throughout the western world.
Dürer’s Rhinoceros was anatomically flawed yet enormously influential. Remarkably, Dürer never saw the creature himself, working instead from a letter and sketch sent from Portugal where a rhino had recently been gifted to the King, by the Sultan of Gujarat, India. Despite an additional horn on its back, and armoured plates in place of a leathery hide, his image appeared in numerous volumes on natural history, and shaped Europe’s understanding of the animal for almost two hundred years, a thought now unfathomable in the day of camera-phone photography and social media.
Illustrated below: Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rijn (Dutch 1606 to 1669) | The Three Trees (B., Holl. 212; New Holl. 214; H. 205), 1643 | Sold for £225,200 inc premium
Alongside the arrival of the woodcut in 15th century Europe, the art of engraving was increasing in popularity. Engraving can be traced back to antiquity, when goldsmiths would incise decorative motifs into metal, laying the foundation for printed images from incised metal plates. While engraving produced remarkable results, its labour-intensive nature and lack of flexibility encouraged artists to seek alternatives.
Etching emerged as a decorative technique for armour before developing into an artistic medium of its own. It was not until the seventeenth century, with the arrival of artists such as Rembrandt van Rijn, that etching reached its prime.
Rembrandt would combine multiple intaglio techniques to great effect, never more so than in his renowned Three Trees (1643). Earlier impressions, printed before any deterioration to the plate, are often the richest, the most atmospheric, and the most highly prized by collectors. For this reason, an early state of a Rembrandt print can be valued much higher than a later state of the same subject.
Lithography, the first of the planographic techniques, came to prominence at the end of the eighteenth century and enabled artists to draw or paint directly onto the printing surface, allowing artists to create prints which more closely replicate their works on paper and canvas.
This opportunity was taken up by many of the most successful artists of the modern era, including Marc Chagall, Edvard Munch and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec to great acclaim.
Illlustrated below: Marc Chagall (Russian/French 1887 to 1985) | Les Amoureux au Soleil Rouge, 1960 | Sold for £15,000 inc premium
One of the greatest painter-printmakers of the modern era, Chagall used the medium to explore certain themes, skilfully combining the extensive and vibrant palette of his painted works with the immediacy and fluidity of the printed medium. Chagall’s monumental masterwork Daphnis and Chloe (1961) comprises a set of 42 lithographs printed in colours. The series depicts, with great drama and flair, the tempestuous romance of the eponymous ancient Greek love story, resulting in one of the most important illustrated works of our time. Chagall’s mastery of colour and line is seen in the sun-drenched hues and otherworldly landscapes. His compositions are perfectly arranged within the limitations of the lithographic stone, and his understanding of the layering of colour and line producing dreamlike illustrations to draw the viewer inwards and onwards.
Illustrated below: Andy Warhol (American 1928-1987) | Sigmund Freud, 1980 (F. & S. II. 235) | Sold for £40,200 inc premium
Screenprinting as a means of artistic production came to prominence in 1960s America. Adapted from the centuries-old tradition of stencil printing which can be traced back to first-century China, it did not come into popular use until the mid-twentieth century. At this time, it was adopted by the artists of the Pop generation in the United States. Artists including Andy Warhol, Roy Lichtenstein, Keith Haring and Tom Wesselmann adopted screenprinting to expand their artistic practice while commenting on the state of consumerism in modern America.
Andy Warhol’s Marilyn is one of the most enduring artworks of the twentieth century. The process allowed for bold, vibrant prints with expanses of rich colour and restrained detail, qualities perfectly suited to Pop Art.
To this day, screenprinting remains the technique of choice for many world-renowned artists including Alex Katz, Damien Hirst, Bridget Riley, Banksy and Jonas Wood.
Illustrated below: Bridget Riley C.H., C.B.E. (British 1931 to ) | Two Blues (S. 52, T & G. 52), 2003 | Sold for £8,190 inc premium
Beyond the evolution of traditional printmaking techniques, we see more and more artists searching for new and untested means of producing editions. David Hockney’s iPad drawings have taken the world by storm, recently achieving record prices for the artist’s prints. Meanwhile, artists including Gerhard Richter and Damien Hirst continue to experiment with increasingly digital processes, printing on aluminium. The possibilities of printmaking continue to expand.
- Kirstie Davidson, Head of Prints & Multiples
All this to say, the ‘art’ of printmaking is just that. Throughout history, artists have experimented and developed their artistic practice through printmaking, pushing boundaries and honing skills, with a new art form born with each iteration. Whether exploring a centuries old tradition or drawing on an iPad, the art of printmaking is unmatched for versatility, innovation, and the power of the printed image.
