AN OVERVIEW OF VINTAGE ART PRINTS
by
Lynn Harris
Are you furnishing a first apartment or home, or redecorating a space you already live in? Artwork can add another dimension to the process. Whether you decide to purchase a piece for color, texture, a statement, or because you love it, a good source for artwork is antique malls such as GasLamp.
Vintage prints in particular are often a budget friendly way to begin a nice collection of art. The many different types of prints can be confusing, so let’s talk about some terms you may encounter.
The term “print” refers to a multiple edition reproduction of the original artwork image. Often these editions are signed and numbered and in vintage prints a lower edition number such as twenty-three out of a run of five hundred can be considered more desirable than a higher number.
Lithography
Numerous prints are made from some type of stone or metal plate. These are known as lithographic prints. In the earlier lithographic process the image inscribed on the stone deteriorated with use, which is why a lower edition number in general is more collectable. Here the archival quality of the paper and the ink contributes to the overall value of the print. Older lithographs sometimes are built in layers of colors, as many as twenty-five. These are sometimes referred to as chromolithographs and are more rare because they took so much time. Modern day lithography uses a four-color process and metal plates. It is also called offset printing.
You can recognize a lithograph or offset print not only because it will be in color, but also by seeing the many dots of color when using a magnifying glass or jeweler’s loop.
Intaglio
Intaglio is a general term for a print made by inking an incised plate. The excess is wiped away and the ink remaining in the incisions is transferred to the paper. Some types of intaglio also use chemicals and waxes. There are many different types of intaglio, the most common being etchings and engravings. These often have hard-edged smooth lines. Whereas lithographs tend to look like paintings, etchings and engravings tend to look like drawings, though washes of color may be applied by hand later.
Woodcuts
Woodcuts are a type of relief printing where an image is carved into a block of wood. The parts of the image not to receive ink are cut away. Many Asian printmakers use this technique. In general woodcuts have bold areas of ink, the lights and darks standing out in high contrast with virtually no gradation.
Screen-Prints
Screen-prints are a type of stencil technique including silk-screens and serigraphs. Stenciling is one of the oldest techniques dating back to cave paintings. A drawn image cut out of paper or plastic is used as a stencil against cloth. The cut away portions allow the ink to filter through the cloth onto the paper.
Screen-prints can be recognized by their bold, flat areas of color with no gradations.
When you are shopping for art at antique malls such as GasLamp, many dealers will give you all the information they know about the print. However, the background story of the print may be lost over time. We hope the above thumbnail definitions will be a general guide and a springboard for further exploration.
So why not add some color, beauty, and mystery to your living space, while learning about vintage art prints.
