PARIS.- Marking its very first edition from May 19—22, 2022, the Paris Print Fair, organized by the Chambre Syndicale de l’Estampe, du Dessin et du Tableau (CSEDT), will bring together 19 exhibitors from across Europe in the Réfectoire of the iconic Couvent des Cordeliers, located in the heart of Paris’s 6th arrondissement. Tracing the evolution of the art of printmaking from the 15th century to the present, the fair will invite visitors to immerse themselves in the diversity of practices related to this storied discipline, at once historical and contemporary, showcasing Old Masters of printmaking alongside Modern artists and contemporary creatives.

The fair’s intimate format, tailored for experts, dealers and other professionals as well as collectors and amateurs, will unfold as a highly specialized event, reflecting its engaged educational approach.

“As specialists and professionals, we are consistently faced with the question: what is printmaking?” explains Christian Collin, President of the CSEDT and founder of the fair. Stressing the historical roots of this increasingly artistic practice, he continues: “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.”

Joining from France, the UK, The Netherlands, Austria, and Spain, among others, the participating members of the CSEDT, including 7 international galleries, will convey the diversity of the discipline with a shared sense of expertise and finesse. International references in Old Master prints, Jurjens Fine Art (Amsterdam), Helmut H. Rumbler (Frankfurt), Palau Antiguitats (Barcelona) and Galerie Martinez D. (Paris) will draw attention to this first edition with their presentations of rare 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 craftmanship, but also invite amateurs and specialists on a fascinating journey in the world of miniatures.”

Modern printmaking will also be on show. Marc Chagall, Sonia Delaunay, and Henri Matisse will stand alongside Alberto Giacometti, Joan Miró and Zao Wou-ki at the booths of Parisian specialists Galerie Arenthon (Paris), Galerie Sagot-Le Garrec (Paris) and Le Coin des Arts (Paris), while Galerie Stéphane Brugal (Pont-l’Abbé) will dedicate its presentation to the Modern Breton schools through the works of André Dauchez and Henri Rivière, to cite but a few.

“The Paris Print Fair acts as an accessible platform for the presentation of rare pieces, generally sought after by museums both for their curatorial and their educational value. By virtue of its focus and size, the fair responds to a growing demand for more specialized and more intimate fairs, where collectors and amateurs alike can run into and get their hands on such gems.” – AnneFrançoise Gavanon, director of Frederick Mulder Ltd.

The galleries Christian Collin (Paris) and Bei der Oper (Vienna) will shift the focus to extra-European printmaking, in particular to its Modern Japanese iteration, combining classical ukiyo-e from the Edo and Meiji periods, shin-hanga and sosaku-hanga.

Mirroring a renewed enthusiasm for the discipline, contemporary prints will also be widely represented. While the galleries Nathalie Béreau (Paris, Chinon) and Documents 15 (Paris) will showcase contemporary creators of note such as Charles Donker, Érik Desmazières and Michaël Cailloux, the very craft and practice of printmaking today will be at the core of Galerie L’Estampe (Strasbourg) and Stoney Road Press (Dublin)’s participations, respectively a publishing house holding the sole water-printing workshop in Europe and a fine art print studio employing both traditional methods and digital technology.

“It is essential for us to give a voice to printmaking as it manifests itself today. Poorly known, it is nevertheless actively represented amongst artists, galleries, publishers and printers around the world, firm spokespersons for a practice that has known to adapt over the centuries and continues to do so to this day.” – Eileen Maguire, director of Stoney Road Press

The first event dedicated exclusively to printmaking, the Paris Print Fair follows on the former Salon de l’Estampe et du Dessin, held for the last time in 2016. The CSEDT had already ignited a new interest by launching in 2018 the Semaine des Galeries Parisiennes de l’Estampe et du Dessin, making the Paris Print Fair the new annual rendez-vous for specialists and wider audiences devoted entirely to the 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.” – Nicolas Romand, director of Galerie Sagot-Le Garrec and co-founder of the Paris Print Fair

Actively channelling this engagement in France and internationally, and a reputed emissary among institutions and general audiences alike, the association Les Amateurs d’Estampes, founded in 2017 and under the direction of Joseph de Colbert, will also be present at the fair. The complete programme is available on the website of the Paris Print Fair.