16 engravings album

History of the engraving (also known as a print or a gravure) in Europe is over five centuries long. It has been born out of several factors coming together: the accessibility of the quality paper and the pursuit of beauty, which was admired during the Renaissance. This is one of the most mysterious arts, as the engravers have always been keeping their techniques in secret.
However, from the very beginning the creation of the engraving was more than art - due to its portable size, it served as the witness of the history. The masters, who needed just a piece of wood, cutting instruments, paint and paper for their work, were important attestors travelling along the monarchs, generals and explorers. This determined the motives of the early engravings - along with the religious themes, one can also see numerous prints of battles, landscapes and cities, everyday life, as well as the portraits and maps done in this technique. Educational and satirical prints often appeared in press at that time.
The practical function was particularly important for the cultural and social significance of the engravings all the way till the invention of the photography in the XIXth century. Printing technique allowed creating unique, extremely refined and detailed pictures that later could be reproduced many times, making the gravure accessible like no other art before.
In the course of the XIXth century the role of the engraving changed, it was mostly regarded as an exquisite interior decoration. Out of the mean of information accessible to many, it has become an elite art appreciated by real connoisseurs. Today it stays that way, fascinating the viewers with the finest detalization, varieties of the motives, modesty and nobility.