The Story of Printmaking

Holly E.J.

Black's 'The Story of Printmaking: A Global History of Art' surveys the development of prints worldwide, beginning with early East Asian examples like the Diamond Sutra and moving through Renaissance Europe, Edo Japan, revolutionary Mexico, and post‑apartheid South Africa.

The book organizes its narrative around processes and ten case-study chapters, showing how printmaking blurred boundaries between craft, commerce, and fine art while enabling political communication and mass dissemination.

Drawing on the author's practical printmaking background and journalistic approach, it emphasizes lesser-known figures, workshops, and social contexts that shaped the medium.

Black also addresses contemporary print practices, market dynamics, and the tactile qualities that keep printmaking relevant in a digital age.

The volume is intended as an accessible, illustrated introduction and springboard for further research into print histories.