Paris Print fair: The art of printmaking unfolds through time

The Chambre Syndicale de l’Estampe, du Dessin et du Tableau (CSEDT) is set to roll out their first edition of Paris Print fair, a platform that will showcase the works of 19 European exhibitors in the Réfectoire of the stellar Couvent des Cordeliers. Located in the heart of Paris’s 6th arrondissement, the fair will embark its visitors on a journey through time, an elaborate and enticing tale of the evolution of printmaking from the 15th century to the present. Visitors will be able to glimpse the veteran icons of printmaking alongside the contemporary artists through the immersive displays of historical and contemporary practices. The highly specialised event will be an engaging and educational tour for everyone ranging from professionals to experts, collectors and amateurs alike.

“As specialists and professionals, we are consistently faced with the question: what is printmaking?” points out Christian Collin, President of the CSEDT and founder of the fair. “From intaglio to relief, from lithography to silkscreen, the Paris Print Fair and its exhibitors act as both vectors of knowledge and interpreters of a longstanding history. We strive to erect bridges between the many forms that printmaking takes today, a practice at once centennial and widely contemporary, and as it unfolds across the continents – and ultimately, to welcome new audiences and cultivate a new dynamism around the discipline,” he shares.

Seven international galleries joining from across the globe aim to highlight the diversity of the discipline through their shared expertise and allegiance to the art. The display of old master prints by artists will bring to light unseen masterpieces by Albrecht Dürer, Hans Sebald Beham, Hendrick Golzius and Francisco de Goya. “Whether it be icons such as Rembrandt or the so-called German Little Masters including Albrecht Altdorfer or Jacob Binck, we are keen to highlight the subtlety and savoir-faire that unite these centuries-old prints,” explains Dr. Michael Weis of Helmut H. Rumbler. “These works not only bear witness to a great deal of craftsmanship, but also invite amateurs and specialists on a fascinating journey in the world of miniatures,” he adds.

The fair will also display the more recent works in the field of printmaking including those of esteemed artists such as Marc Chagall, Sonia Delaunay, André Dauchez and Henri Rivière among others. Galleries will also focus attention on the Modern Japanese iteration of European printmaking. A balance of historical and contemporary representation is maintained throughout the showcases, educating the viewers about the employment of both traditional methods and digital technology.

Paris Print Fair, the first of its kind, is fueled by the rekindled enthusiasm of people for the artform. The CSEDT, following the launch of the Semaine des Galeries Parisiennes de l’Estampe et du Dessin in 2018, aims to continue this wave of vigour by making the Paris Print Fair a new annual event for the audience devoted to the art and its practice. “By establishing original printmaking as a self-standing discipline in the vast field of works on paper, with its independently rich panel of experts and current and prospective collectors, we also aim to anchor Paris as a new centre in this market, supported by a wider European ecosystem, in the likes of New York or London,” says Nicolas Romand, director of Galerie Sagot-Le Garrec and co-founder of the Paris Print Fair.