Painted Prints

"A Renaissance print with color is almost invariably regarded as a suspect object because the color is presumed to be a cosmetic addition made to compensate for deficiencies of design or condition. Painted Prints challenges this deeply entrenched assumption about the material and aesthetic structure of early prints by showing that in many cases hand coloring is not a dubious supplement to a print but is instead an integral element augmenting its expressive power, beauty, and meaning." "Published in conjunction with an exhibition organized by The Baltimore Museum of Art, Painted Prints reproduces and discusses a rich variety of hand-colored prints from Northern Europe of the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Anonymous woodcuts are juxtaposed with masterworks by such famed artists as Durer, Holbein, and Goltzius. These prints, secular as well as religious, muted as well as vibrant in tonality, make it clear that hand coloring was a widespread, enduring practice, developed to satisfy the demands of both elite and popular audiences." Painted Prints presents new research into the artists who specialized in hand coloring and offers insights into the social and economic organization of Renaissance and Baroque printmaking. It also draws on scientific analyses of the materials and techniques of hand coloring to address important questions of authenticity, chronology, and condition. With a catalogue and color illustrations of all the hand-colored prints in the exhibition, this book makes a groundbreaking contribution to the study of Renaissance prints and their pivotal place in the visual culture of early modern Europe.

Library Journal

This catalog accompanies an intriguing exhibit of painted Northern Renaissance and Baroque prints mounted by the Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) and then moving to St. Louis. Dackerman, who is a curator at BMA, and Thomas Primeau, a conservator there, present an intriguing overview of the hand application of paint after black-and-white prints were made. They explore the historical evidence about the use and value of these prints and the technical aspects of their production, including pigments and application techniques. Their provocative and unique thesis is that these prints have not been appropriately valued by later sensibilities, which hold more highly the aesthetics of black-and-white prints, and that the hand-colored prints deserve to be reevaluated. The colored versions of prints commonly known to us in black and white (e.g., Durer's print of St. Jerome in his study) provide opportunities for readers to compare and judge. The reproductions and annotations are thorough, and this appears to be the only book available on the subject. Recommended for larger public and academic libraries and specialized collections.-Kathryn Wekselman, M.Ln., Cincinnati Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Susan Dackerman is Curator of the Department of Prints, Drawings, and Photographs at The Baltimore Museum of Art.