Paper Museums ─ The Reproductive Print In Europe, 1500-1800

As relatively inexpensive, transportable, and storable objects, prints occupied an important place in early modern European culture. Many of them reproduced other works of art and we now call them "reproductive" prints. They were often considered to be of lower status than so-called "original" prints, yet in their initial historical and cultural context, reproductive prints were crucial to the forging of a common visual culture. Paper Museums offers an important interpretive survey of these remarkable works.

The contributors to the volume explore the diverse range of uses for reproductive prints, including establishing printmakers' reputations as truthful and authoritative artists, promoting an artist's oeuvre or the holdings of a collector, and enabling the public to enjoy original works vicariously. The volume also analyzes issues such as the culture of the print workshop and, in particular, the status of female printmakers; truth and authenticity ascribed to the printed form; and the dissemination of antique forms through prints.

Challenging long-held assumptions about reproductive imagery, this fascinating history will compel readers and scholars alike to think of reproductive prints as legitimate and valued creative acts.

Rebecca Zorach is assistant professor in the Department of Art History at the University of Chicago. Elizabeth Rodini is a lecturer in the history of art at The Johns Hopkins University and curatorial liaison for the Baltimore Museum of Art and the Walters Art Museum.