The new exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago, Lines of Connection, shows that the line between drawing and printmaking is not so clear cut as we imagined.
The exhibit’s scope is wide-ranging, with sketches, prints and copyworks from the late 15th through mid-19th century, featuring works by many of the greats, including Rembrandt, Francisco Goya, Peter Paul Rubens, Albrecht Dürer and William Blake. Its focus is less on the finished prints or drawings but on the process itself.
An introduction to the exhibit highlights the historical hierarchy between drawing and printmaking, with drawing considered superior and more “original” than print. The works on display show that distinction to be outdated, with hybrid cases such as Rembrandt’s Sheet of Studies (about 1632) or William Blake's Songs of Innocence and Experience (1789-94) where changes were improvised directly on the plate, or with drawings intended to imitate prints such as Hendrick Goltzius’ Study of a Right Hand (1588).
In addition to blurring the boundaries around drawing and printmaking, the exhibit also highlights printmaking’s important role in the development of famous artists. For example, Rembrandt made a highly detailed copy of Leonardo da Vinci’s Last Supper using a print and there are examples of artists drawing from Lucas Cranach or Albrecht Dürer prints. An unfinished copy of Dürer’s The Vision of Saint Eustace (1501), wherein the unknown artist gave up on copying the incredibly detailed print might be relatable to the procrastinators among us.
The rooms are full of unusual printmaking techniques, including Maria Sibylla Merian’s Metamorphosis of a Small Emperor Moth, in which she hand-applied pigments to a counterproof of the original drawing. The technique resulted in unique, vibrant editions of her scientific drawings. Blake also experimented with color in his prints of Satan Exulting over Eve (1795), creating multiple, differently colored impressions of the original composition.
The technology of printmaking changed the way we view the artistic process. Walking through this exhibit, I considered how the line between originality and imitation might have been further blurred by the rise of the internet, where digital art can easily be copied or reworked by other creators. Viewers who choose to stop by Lines of Connections may not only gain some insight into the artistic process of famous painters, but have a chance to meditate on artistic integrity across mediums.
The Lines of Connection exhibit will be on display until June 1. The Art Institute is located at 111 S. Michigan Ave, and is open Friday-Monday and Wednesday 11am-5pm, and Thursday 11-8pm. Closed Tuesdays.
Images courtesy Art Institute of Chicago.
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