Printmaking in Europe 1400-1920: from Dürer to Munch
During the course we will learn about the materials and techniques of printmaking including woodcut, etching, engraving and aquatint, and engage with prints by some of the most innovative printmakers of the era (Dürer, Rembrandt, Goya and Munch). We will consider prints in relation to several key themes including religion, colonialism, nationhood, and artistic practice, authorship and expression.
Choose a starting date
Learning modes and locations may be different depending on the course start date. Please check the location of your chosen course and read our guide to learning modes and locations to help you choose the right course for you.
- Start Date: 10 Jun 2025End Date: 08 Jul 2025Tue (Daytime): 14:00 - 16:00In PersonFull fee £129.00 Senior fee £103.00 Concession £84.00
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What is the course about?
The advent of the printing press and resultant print culture can be related to major developments in art and society during the period in Europe, including the Protestant Reformation, the role of prints in the sharing of knowledge, state propaganda and in relation to the nature of art practice and its dissemination. In relation to the impact of prints on art and artists, we will consider how prints led to the greater circulation of artworks / how artists utilised prints to spread their fame, printmaking in relation to collaborative workshop practice, the art market and authorship, and the expressive potential of the printmaking medium.
We will focus on key artists who include some of the most innovative and groundbreaking printmakers of the era: Dürer, Rembrandt, Goya and Munch. We will consider prints in relation to ideas of nationhood, how prints impacted on religious devotion (including consideration of the role of prints in the Reformation, the seventeenth-century Protestant Dutch Republic and in the Catholic Counter-reformation). We will consider the role of prints in relation to the Enlightenment era and the emergence of the “public sphere”, including in relation to themes such as colonialism/ engagement with people of other lands (prints created in relation to the voyages of Captain Cook will provide one focus here) and prints as sources of scientific or botanical knowledge. The course will also offer the opportunity to learn about the processes and artistic potential of different printmaking techniques, including woodcut, etching, engraving and aquatint.
One of our sessions will be hosted in the Courtauld Gallery Print Room, allowing students the opportunity engage directly with original prints by these artists mentioned (and more!) in person.
Please note that this course may contain content that some learners may find of a sensitive or challenging nature.
What will we cover?
- Materials and techniques of printmaking used in the period, including woodcut, etching, engraving and aquatint.
- Discussion of prints by some of the most innovative printmakers of the era (Dürer, Rembrandt, Goya and Munch) including consideration of material choices and artistic practice.
- Key elements of the socio-historic context of the era, which we will relate to the production, function and circulation of prints (including religion and devotion, the role of prints in the sharing of knowledge, colonialism and exploration and the dissemination of art)
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
- Describe materials and techniques of printmaking including woodcut, etching, engraving and aquatint
- Discuss prints produced between 1400-1900 in relation to key themes including including religion, colonialism, nationhood, and artistic practice, authorship and expression.
- Identify prints by some of the most innovative printmakers of the era (Dürer, Rembrandt, Goya and Munch) and place prints by other contemporary artists more generally within a time frame/ medium
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
This course is suitable for all levels.
You should be able to follow simple written and verbal instructions, demonstrations, hand-outs and health and safety information. You will be invited to take part in group discussion.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
You will be taught with lecture, slide presentations, activities and group discussions. Handouts will be provided by your tutor to support your learning on the course; these handouts will be available online/digitally for download via the college’s Google Classroom after the session. You will be sent an invitation to join the Google Classroom within a week of the course start date. Please note: the tutor is unable to send documents via email because of copyright and data protection restrictions.
This course includes a visit to the Courtauld Gallery Print Room. Further information related to this visit will be discussed in class.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
You might wish to purchase a notebook for taking notes. You might wish to buy some of the books on any reading list provided.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Study Day: Printmaking, learning from Old Masters (2026 academic year)
Dr Caroline Rae is an art historian specialising in early modern northern European easel painting. Caroline uses the interdisciplinary methodology of technical art history to address questions of materiality, workshop practice, attribution and cross-cultural influence. Her current research interests are Netherlandish émigré artists who worked at court in England and Scotland in the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, Tudor, Stuart and Jacobean portraiture, and the history of artists' materials and techniques. Caroline has recently published on portraiture of Mary, Queen of Scots, and she has also published previously on the materials and techniques of artists including John de Critz the Elder, Adrian Vanson, and Henry Fuseli RA.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.
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Iconography and iconology: secrets of the old masters revealedFull fee £179.00 Senior fee £143.00 Concession £116.00
