Dutch Master Prints

Since the 16th century, Dutch artists used prints to promote their art and access a wider public than what was possible for a single painting. During the Dutch Golden Age, (17th century), Dutch artists perfected the techniques of etching and engraving.

The rise of printmaking in the Netherlands is attributed to a connection between Italy and the Netherlands during the 1500s. Together with the large-scale production, it allowed the expanding reach of an artist’s work. Prints were popular as collecting items, so publishing houses commissioned artists to create a drawing or a painting, and then print the work for collectors - similar to what occurs at publishing houses today. Dutch printmaking evolved rapidly, so in 16th-century etching prevailed over the engraving.

Major Dutch Printmaker Artists:

Hieronymus Bosch,
Pieter Bruegel the Elder,
Hendrick Goltzius,
Rembrandt van Rijn,
Anna Maria van Schurman,
Adriaen Jansz van Ostade,
Ferdinand Bol.