The Beginning of Mass-Produced Art

Engraving and letterpress art may be enjoying a renaissance of their own — the Southern Graphics Council International Conference inundated Cherokee Street with artists and enthusiasts mere weeks ago — but the printmaking revolution began during the actual Renaissance in the late fourteenth century. The Saint Louis Art Museum in Forest Park (314-721-0072 or www.slam.org) showcases the work of German masters with the exhibit Focus on the Collection: Engraving in Renaissance Germany. Viewing art with the benefit of historical hindsight is always a tricky proposition, but the level of craftsmanship involved in German prints (you've heard of Dürer?) and the broad range of styles and effects artists such as Hans Sebald Beham and Lucas Cranach created are timeless. Engraving fuses the technical with the beautiful, and the pieces on display aren't to be missed. Engraving in Renaissance Germany is on display in galleries 321 and 322 from Friday, April 15, through Sunday, July 10, and the museum is open every day except Monday.
Tuesdays-Sundays; Mon., May 30. Starts: April 15. Continues through July 10, 2011