Varieties of Modification of the Print

Keynote lecture - part of: The Paper Project Workshop "Touched/Retouched: Paper across Time (1400–1800)"

Date: Nov 15, 2024
Time: 05:00 PM - 06:30 PM (Local Time Germany)
Speaker: Antony Griffiths
Location: Villino Stroganoff, Via Gregoriana 22, 00187 Rome

Whereas drawings only begin to change after they have been drawn, prints can change before, during, and after printing.

This talk will address the changes that can be made to a printing plate during its printing history, and also the manifold types of alterations that can be made after it has been inked and printed onto paper. This leads into a consideration of many important aspects of print publication: the re-use of plates, the length of their printing history, replicas and copies. Examination of the sheet once printed reveals much about usage and collecting, as well as the interaction of owners and viewers with the printed sheet.

Antony Griffiths was educated at Christ Church, Oxford 1970–74 (BA, Literae Humaniores), and the Courtauld Institute, 1974–76 (MA, History of Art). He joined the Department of Prints and Drawings in the British Museum in 1976, serving as Deputy Keeper starting in 1981 and then Keeper from 1991 to 2011. Griffiths was elected a Fellow of the British Academy in 2000. Among his numerous publications is The Print before Photography (2016).

Scientific Organization: Francesca Borgo, Camilla Colzani, and Alice Ottazzi (Lise Meitner Group)