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- Page Five -
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From Craft to Fine Art.
Before the introduction of modern lithographic printing processes, relief prints were often viewed as the art of the masses and suffered much as being mere craft or as a minor art at best. From well before the invention of the printing press and movable type, up to the beginning of the 20th century, the woodcut and wood engraving were exclusively the domain of the printing and publishing trades and a division of labor existed in the industry. An artist of some repute would execute a drawing or design on paper and this would be passed to the engraver for the actual cutting of the block and when finished handed over to the pressman for printing. Often, several engravers were enlisted to work on a single block as each also specialized in the cutting of either, buildings, people, animals, clouds, machinery, et cetera; and in this sense it truly was a craft. With the advances being made in printing technology during the 1880's the demand for woodcuts and engravings had diminished considerably and by the end of the century was pretty much a dying craft. It was not until artist's themselves saw the potential for getting their name as well as their work in front of the public that a re-birth of the artist-as-engraver or engraver-as-artist appears. Painters and Sculptors alike began making woodcuts and engravings not only to explore the medium for it's innate qualities for self-expression, but to bolster their incomes and reputations as well. It is here that the woodcut and the wood engraving become more art and less craft. Small editions of usually from only 50 to 200 prints being the normal production run for these artist-engravers, with the artist prefering to create new work rather than spending time in the printing of larger editions. Todays relief prints continue to enjoy an elevated status, over those of the 19th century; being drawn, cut and in most cases printed by the individual artist in very limited editions. These artist-created prints are universally regarded as belonging to the Fine Art's family, each being viewed nearly equal in importance in the minds of many as painting and sculpture for artistic expression, and if done well, are quite often superior. In the final view though, it matters not if the relief print is craft or art, for it is not the artist, the historian nor the critic who will determine whether a specific print should be labeled craft or fine art, but the image itself. By it's very nature it is still an art of and for the masses, the painter and sculptor need only to satisfy one patron, while the woodcut and wood engraver's work must appeal to a larger number. It also follows that more measured thought and deliberate action must be afforded the endeavor, if the relief print is to achieve it's full potential.
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