MFA Highlights: Prints and Drawings

A concise introduction to a premier collection of prints and drawings, from the Renaissance to today

One of the oldest forms of artistic expression, drawing flows most directly and personally from the artist’s hand. Whether quickly outlining a figure with a charcoal line or capturing the play of light and shade with watercolor, drawings allow viewers to experience the act of creation in an immediate and intimate way. Printmaking, derived from drawing, offers a wealth of visually distinctive techniques, from bold woodcuts to delicate engravings, from shadowy aquatints to brightly colored screen prints.

This volume selects more than 100 examples from more than six centuries of European and American drawings and prints in the distinguished collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Presenting works by artists ranging from early masters such as Albrecht Dürer to contemporary printmakers such as Tara Donovan, arranged by theme and accompanied by illuminating texts, it invites readers to explore the creative range of prints and drawings, and of their makers.