Peintre-graveur
Encyclopedia
Peintre-graveur is a term probably invented and certainly popularized by the great scholar of the old master print
, Adam Bartsch
(Johann Adam Bernhard von Bartsch: 1757 - 1821, both Vienna). The term, meaning "painter-engraver", is intended to distinguish between printmakers, whether working in engraving
, etching
or woodcut
, who designed images with the primary purpose of producing a print, and those who essentially copied in a print medium a composition by another, to produce what is known as a "reproductive print", or who produced only essentially non-artistic work in print form, such as map
s for example.
"Painter-engraver" is sometimes used in English. Alternative terms for the work of a Peintre-graveur are "artist's print", "Master Print", "original print", "graphic art". "Art print" now tends to mean a reproduction of any work of art.
Bartsch's great catalogue of old master print
s, published in Vienna in 21 volumes in 1803-21,was called "Le Peintre Graveur". It has been reprinted five times, most recently in 1982. The Illustrated Bartsch (Abaris Books
, New York) is an English language illustrated version (the original was unillustrated by technological necessity) which released the first volume in 1978, and is projected to include at least 164 volumes. Most of the picture volumes are published; the accompanying text volumes, in effect complete new catalogues raissonés
, are taking longer. It (currently Abaris Books has granted a non-exclusive license for many of the images found in The Illustrated Bartsch and they are available online to colleges and other institutions subscribing to ARTstor
.
Old master print
An old master print is a work of art produced by a printing process within the Western tradition . A date of about 1830 is usually taken as marking the end of the period whose prints are covered by this term. The main techniques concerned are woodcut, engraving and etching, although there are...
, Adam Bartsch
Adam Bartsch
Johann Adam Bernhard von Bartsch was an Austrian scholar and artist. His catalogue of Old master prints is the foundation of the Art History of printmaking, and he was himself a printmaker in engraving and etching....
(Johann Adam Bernhard von Bartsch: 1757 - 1821, both Vienna). The term, meaning "painter-engraver", is intended to distinguish between printmakers, whether working in engraving
Engraving
Engraving is the practice of incising a design on to a hard, usually flat surface, by cutting grooves into it. The result may be a decorated object in itself, as when silver, gold, steel, or glass are engraved, or may provide an intaglio printing plate, of copper or another metal, for printing...
, etching
Etching
Etching is the process of using strong acid or mordant to cut into the unprotected parts of a metal surface to create a design in intaglio in the metal...
or woodcut
Woodcut
Woodcut—occasionally known as xylography—is a relief printing artistic technique in printmaking in which an image is carved into the surface of a block of wood, with the printing parts remaining level with the surface while the non-printing parts are removed, typically with gouges...
, who designed images with the primary purpose of producing a print, and those who essentially copied in a print medium a composition by another, to produce what is known as a "reproductive print", or who produced only essentially non-artistic work in print form, such as map
Map
A map is a visual representation of an area—a symbolic depiction highlighting relationships between elements of that space such as objects, regions, and themes....
s for example.
"Painter-engraver" is sometimes used in English. Alternative terms for the work of a Peintre-graveur are "artist's print", "Master Print", "original print", "graphic art". "Art print" now tends to mean a reproduction of any work of art.
Bartsch's great catalogue of old master print
Old master print
An old master print is a work of art produced by a printing process within the Western tradition . A date of about 1830 is usually taken as marking the end of the period whose prints are covered by this term. The main techniques concerned are woodcut, engraving and etching, although there are...
s, published in Vienna in 21 volumes in 1803-21,was called "Le Peintre Graveur". It has been reprinted five times, most recently in 1982. The Illustrated Bartsch (Abaris Books
Abaris Books
Abaris Books is a scholarly publishing house based in Norwalk, Connecticut, which produces authoritative art reference books. Abaris is renowned for its definitive collections of titles in art history and other subjects, and for its cataloguing of renowned artists such as Albrecht Dürer, Rembrandt...
, New York) is an English language illustrated version (the original was unillustrated by technological necessity) which released the first volume in 1978, and is projected to include at least 164 volumes. Most of the picture volumes are published; the accompanying text volumes, in effect complete new catalogues raissonés
Catalogue raisonné
The typical catalogue raisonné is a monograph giving a comprehensive catalogue of artworks by an artist.The essential elements of a catalogue raisonné are that it purports to be an exhaustive list of works for a defined subject matter describing the works in a way so that they may be reliably...
, are taking longer. It (currently Abaris Books has granted a non-exclusive license for many of the images found in The Illustrated Bartsch and they are available online to colleges and other institutions subscribing to ARTstor
ARTstor
ARTstor is a non-profit organization that builds and distributes the Digital Library, an online resource of more than one million images in the arts, architecture, humanities, and sciences. The ARTstor Digital Library also includes a set of software tools to view, present, and manage images for...
.
Sources
- Antony Griffiths, Prints and Printmaking, p 128 etc, British Museum Press (in UK), 2nd edn, 1996 ISBN 0-7141-2608-X
- A Hyatt Mayor, Prints and People, Metropolitan Museum of Art/Princeton, 1971, no. , ISBN 0-691-00326-2
- Dossi, Barbara; Albertina, The History of the Collection and its Masterpieces, Prestel, 1999, ISBN 3-7913-2340-7