Printmaking in Lyon and Leipzig: impressions of the 2015 Book History Workshop

During my work exchange at the Lyon Printing Museum I had the opportunity to take part in the 2015 edition of the Book History Workshop. I work as a research assistant in the Museum of the Printing Arts Leipzig (Germany). So as to get a view “beyond my own nose”, I decided to take part in a professional exchange programme in Lyon in June-July. So it was a great pleasure for me to participate in the two practical sessions of the course “Vagabond Images: History and Techniques of European Prints from the 15th to the 18th century“, given by Claudio Galleri and Éléonore Litim.

Together with seven other participants, we tried out relief and intaglio printing techniques so as to create our very first wood engravings and prints in the Printing museum’s workshop. It was a very relaxed but focused and inspiring atmosphere while working together. Even the visit of the museum’s permanent collections as well as the demonstration of the “kitchen litho” technique were fantastic and very interesting for my work. Due to limited time, I only finished my wood engraving a few days later. After I came back home, I finally printed the woodblock in the Museum of the printing arts – in Leipzig!

Christine Hartmann, Museum of the Printing Arts Leipzig (Germany)

 

 

 

Lyon:  Hard at work engraving woodblocks and copperplates.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Printing the block at the Leipzig museum