Engraving Review

European Antique Prints and Engraving

Engraving was very important in the creation of maps, prints and books in Europe

The earliest known European engraving is from 1446, so the technique is at least 560 years old. Engraving was a very important method of producing European art and books, and for spreading knowledge to the mass of society. I would need to write a hefty book to cover all the nuances of European engraving techniques and history, but here's a good starting point.

The basic process in European engraving is to cut the image on a metal or wooden plate, apply ink to it, wipe it so the ink only remains in the engraved lines, then press it onto paper to produce a print of the image.

European Antique Print

Copper engraving of Roman Frieze

By Pietro Santi Bartoli (1693)

Over time the process evolved as follows.

Years 1460 - 1650

• Engravings mostly had thick ink lines as most were made from wooden plates
• The paper was quite heavy and uneven as it was hand made
• Not many prints from this era were colored

Years 1650 - 1790

• This was an era of exploration and colonization so engravings of animals and plants were popular. Most were amusingly unrealistic as the artists had rarely seen real specimens
• Prints were mostly made from engravings on copper plates. Prints had stronger plate marks as higher pressure was needed to print, and more detail as finer engraving lines were possible
• The paper was usually thick and uneven as it was hand made

Years 1790 -1825

• Prints of animals, plants and travels were popular and more realistic
• The paper tended to be thinner as it started to be machine-made
• Copper plate engravings were still common, but more expensive prints were produced by aquatint or stipple engraving
• Coloring was still mostly done by hand

Years 1825-1900

• The most common method was steel plate engravings (much finer lines than copper).
• Plate marks were less common as lower printing pressure was needed for lithography and steel engravings
• Printed color became much more common than hand coloring from ~1860 onwards
• The paper became smoother and thinner due to mass production and the need for smooth paper for color printing
• Engraving began to die as an art, being replaced by lithography and photogravure which were more economical techniques.