Recent publications
Printing and printmaking history, Colour printing history, Bibliography of the 15th century, Art technological source research, Artists catalogues.
Printing and printmaking history
Find the most recent update of my Terms in Print Addresses: Abbreviations and Phrases on Printed Images 1500–1900 here (version of 13 January 2024; PDF, 11.4MB).
Ad Stijnman, 'Die Technik der Radierung und ihre Neuerungen im 17. Jahrhunderts: “Wie man nemlich mit Scheidwasser in Kupffer etzen [...] solle”', in Maria Aresin (ed.), Die Freiheit der Linie: Callot, Della Bella, Castiglione und die Radierung im 17. Jahrhundert, exh. cat. Landesmuseum Mainz, Berlin: Deutscher Kunstverlag, 2023, pp. 21–39.
Exhibition: 9 September–3 December 2023, Graphikkabinett, Landesmuseum Mainz.
Details: https://landesmuseum-mainz.de/de/ausstellungen/ausstellungvorschau/die-freiheit-der-linie/
Ad Stijnman, 'Nihon dō-banga: An introduction to the Japanese school of etchers, 1783–1900', in Contextual Alternate, vol. 1 (2021 [= 2022]), pp. 114–167, 21 figs.
§ Ukiyo-e woodcuts have been famous worldwide since the nineteenth century, but early etchings made by Japanese artists are hardly known outside of Japan. Only Shiba Kōkan's work is discussed by Western print researchers. This essay presents a survey of the Japanese school of etchers from 1783 to 1900. In that period, nearly a hundred Japanese printmakers created thousands of etchings appearing unmistakably in a style of their own. The etchings are discussed in the larger context of the introduction and use of Western printing and printmaking processes in Japan from the late sixteenth century to the late nineteenth century. The essay also examines the Dutch reference works that early Japanese etchers based their graphic techniques on, without having any direct contact with European printmakers, and looks at how they developed these techniques independently, adapting local materials to Western intaglio printmaking techniques.
Appendix 1: Collections of early Japanese etchings outside of Japan.
Appendix 2: List of early Japanese etchers.
Appendix 3: A short chronology of early Japanese etching in context.
For a preview click here (PDF, 5.7MB).
Marie Kern, Ad Stijnman, Jana Müller, Yvonne Wiegand and Irene Brückle, 'From wine to print: reconstruction of Frankfurt Black pigment and intaglio printing ink', in Journal of Paper Conservation, vol. 21 (2020, published online 09 April 2021), no. 2, pp. 42–56.
§ See here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/18680860.2020.1832790.
Ad Stijnman, 'Dans l'atelier du maître: les techniques de gravure de Rembrandt', in Jaco Rutgers, Ad Stijnman, Rembrandt graveur: la comédie humain, Grenoble: Éditions Glénat, 2019, pp. 28–39.
§ Discusses the etching and printing techniques of Rembrandt van Rijn, with references to posthumous works and falsifications, for the catalogue of the collection of Rembrandt prints of the Fonds Glénat, Grenoble: http://www.couventsaintececile.com/le-cabinet-rembrandt-au-couvent-sainte-cecile-grenoble/.
Nadine Orenstein and Ad Stijnman, ‘Bitten with Spirit: Etching Materials and Techniques in the Sixteenth Century’, in Catherine Jenkins, Nadine M. Orenstein, and Freyda Spira, The Renaissance of Etching, New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art; New Haven, London: Yale University Press, 2019, pp. 15–23: 9 fig.
§ The exhibition in the Metropolitan Museum, New York, was from 23 October 2019 to 20 January 2020, after which it moved to the Albertina, Vienna, from 12 February to 10 May 2020, extended to 18 October 2020.
The volume was awarded the IFPDA Foundation 2020 Book Award.
Ad Stijnman, ‘Medienästhetik’, in Medienphantasie und Medienreflexion in der Frühen Neuzeit: Festschrift für Jörg Jochen Berns, hrsg. von Thomas Rahn und Hole Rößler, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2018 (Wolfenbütteler Forschungen, hrsg. von der Herzog August Bibliothek; Bd. 157), pp. 403–405: 1 fig. (download here, PDF, 146KB) + Medienästhetik, etching in black ink (Charbonnel F66) on blue Zerkall 622 paper, 2018, ed. of 50, going with 50 copies of the Festschrift.
Ad Stijnman, ‘Thoughts on Art History from the Perspective of the Maker’, Art in Print 6 (Sept./Oct 2016), pp. 16–17.
§ Discusses the material turn in print research.
Ad Stijnman, Rembrandt’s Etchings and Japanese Echizen Paper, Amsterdam: Rembrandt House Museum, 2015.
§ Introductory texts and captions to exhibits for the exhibition on the use of oriental paper in Holland in the 17th century, mainly by Rembrandt van Rijn and his circle; exhibition in the Rembrandt House Museum, Amsterdam, 12 June–20 September 2015; includes technical analysis of oriental papers of Rembrandt etchings.
Download here (PDF, 4.7MB).
Guided tour through the exhibition: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTLHOKCyT_Q
Anja Grebe and Ad Stijnman, ‘A Manual for Printing Copper Plates Predating Abraham Bosse’s Treatise of 1645’, Art in Print 3 (Nov./Dec 2013), pp. 12–20.
Ad Stijnman, 'The etching of iron before the invention of etched intaglio printing plates, 1200–1500', in Craft Treatises and Handbooks: The Dissemination of Technical Knowledge in the Middle Ages, ed. Ricardo Córdoba, Turnhout: Brepols, 2013, pp. 207–220 (De diversis artibus; N.S. 54, Tome 91).
§ Discusses the etching of iron objects before the invention of etching intaglo printing plates by Daniel Hopfer c.1500.
Download here (PDF, 0.5MB).
Ad Stijnman, Engraving and Etching 1400–2000: A History of the Development of Manual Intaglio Printmaking Processes, London: Archetype; Houten: Hes & De Graaf, 2012.
ISBN 978-1-904982-71-5
§ Find the text-only version of my dissertation here: http://hdl.handle.net/11245/1.378167.
For a list of twelve propositions to my dissertation see here (PDF, 65KB).
Discusses the history of all engraving and etching techniques used worldwide from the beginning until today. Includes Chapter 1: Antecedents, Early Developments and Dissemination; Chapter 2: The Trade of Intaglio Printmaking; Chapter 3: Producing the Matrix; Chapter 4: Printing the Matrix; Appendix 1: General Chronology of Intaglio Printmaking Processes; Appendix 2: Early Engravers up to 1500; Appendix 3: Terms in Print Addresses (for the latest version of 31 December 2022, see here (PDF, 11.5MB); Appendix 4: Bibliography of Practical Manuals, with exhaustive lists with annotated title descriptions of manuscripts, printed books and articles.
With extensive indices.
For a list of Errata see here (PDF, 158KB); this list is updated occasionally.
This volume was awarded the Karel van Manderprijs 2015 for the best Dutch art historical publication in the past five years: http://www.kunsthistorici.nl/over-vnk/kunsthistorische-prijzen/.
For the table of contents and reviews see: https://archetype.co.uk/our-titles/engraving-and-etching-1400-2000/?id=166.
For the extended table of contents see:
http://www.brill.com/products/book/engraving-and-etching-1400-2000.
Frans A. Janssen, Huigen Leeflang, Adri Markus, Ad Stijnman, ‘Adriaan Schoonebeek’s Etching Manual (1698): Edition, Translation, Commentary’, Quaerendo 40 (issue 2, 2010), pp. 87–165.
Ad Stijnman, ‘Kupferstecher bei der Arbeit’, in Druckgraphik, zwischen Reproduktion und Invention, Markus A. Castor et al. (eds.), Berlin, München: Deutscher Kunstverlag, 2010, pp. 261–290.
§ Review by Ernst Rebel in KUNSTFORM 11 (2010), Nr. 9:
'Ad Stijnman ("Kupferstecher bei der Arbeit") bietet eine kleine, aber variantenreiche Ikonografie des Grafiker-Berufs vor 1645. Aus dieser Bildergruppe eine "gleichberechtigte Rezeption von Stechern, Malern und Bildhauern durch die Zeitgenossen" (271) herzuleiten, scheint zwar nicht zwingend (was behaupten Bilder nicht alles, wenn sich ihre Urheber nur irgendwie auf die Disegno-Autorität beziehen können!), doch hat eine Übersicht über solch legitimatorische Selbstdarstellungen bislang gefehlt. Stijnmans Quellenanhang mit frühen Werkstattrezepten bereichert darüber hinaus den technologischen Wissensbestand.'
Ad Stijnman, ‘Stradanus's Printshop’, Print Quarterly 27 (March 2010), pp. 11–29.
§ Discusses the contents of the image of the sixteenth-century printshop that is on the cover of Print Quarterly ever since its first issue in 1984 celebrating the journal’s 25th anniversary.
Ulla Knuutinen and Ad Stijnman, ‘Analysing Intaglio Printing Ink’, in Choices in Conservation: Practice versus Research: Proceedings of the Interim Meeting of the ICOM-CC Working Group Graphic Documents, København: Royal Library, 2010, pp. 89–93.
§ Download here (PDF, 104KB) and the table going with it (PDF, 56KB).
Colour printing history
For my A Brighter Vision: A History of European Colour Printing 1450–1830 see News (at the top).
Ad Stijnman, 'A Tale of Five Cities: Jacob Christoff Le Blon and his Development of Trichromatic
Printing', in Tanja C. Kleinwächter, Sarah Lowengard, Friedrich Steinle (eds), Ordering Colours in 18th and early 19th century Europe, Berlin: Springer, 2023 (ARCH; 244).
The present chapter follows the developments of Le Blon’s trichromatic printing as he lived
and worked in five cities: Frankfurt, Rome, Amsterdam, London and Paris. These cities
respectively stand for his initial artistic training, maturing of his artistic insight, development
of colour theory and its practical application in trichromatic printing, financial success with his
method, and eventual dissemination of technical details of his colour printing process.
For the volume and its chapters see: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-34956-0.
Ad Stijnman, ‘浜口陽三の色彩版画技法に関する概説’ / ‘Hamaguchi Yozo: A short Commentary on his Colour Printing Manner’, 浜口陽三 / Hamaguchi Yozo, Tokyo: ミュゼ浜口陽三・ヤマサコレクション/ Musée Hamaguchi Yozo: Yamasa Collection, 2022, pp. 56–61.
'Die Kupferstiche der Megillot Rut und Kohelet', in Annett Martini, mit Beiträgen von Ad Stijnman und Dagmara Budzioch, Zwischen Offenbarung und Kontemplation: Die Wolfenbütteler hebräischen Schriftrollen, Wolfenbüttel: Herzog August Bibliothek, 2021 (Wolfenbütteler Forschungen; 163), pp. 99–103, figs 95–102, col. figs 28, 29 on p. 139
§ A contribution on the technical aspects of manuscript Torah rolls (Megillot) of ca. 1700 decorated with printed engraved borders, some printed in blue ink (figure above).
For further information on the volume see here (PDF, 92KB) and https://www.hab.de/zwischen-offenbarung-und-kontemplation/.
Ad Stijnman, 'Colour Printing in Europe until 1700, an Overview', in Ricerche di storia dell'arte, (2021) 133 (Spring), pp. 5–15 + VI col. figs (Stampare a colori: prospettive di ricerca su editoria e arte in età moderna)
§ Download here (PDF, 4.7MB).
Jacob Christoff Le Blon and Trichromatic Printing, comp. by Ad Stijnman, with a contribution by Helen Wyld, ed. by Simon Turner, 2 parts, Ouderkerk aan den IJssel: Sound & Vision Publishers, in co-operation with The Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, 2020, 2 parts, (The New Hollstein Dutch & Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts 1450–1700)
§ Annotated compilation of all the colour prints (and two in b&w) produced by the workshops of Jacob Christoff Le Blon (1667–1741), inventor of trichromatic (blue/yellow/red) printing, and the prints by his first two pupils the brothers Jan L'Admiral (1699–1773) and Jacob L'Admiral Jr (1700–1770).
Contains an introduction on the developments of Le Blon's printing in three, but occasionally also four and five colours (part I, pp. xxv–ciii, figs 1–76). With a contribution by Helen Wyld on 'Jacob Christoff Le Blon's Secret for Weaving Tapestry' (part I, pp. cv–cxxi, figs 1a–13b). With ten Appendices, including Bert van de Roemer's transcription of the 'Manuscript of the diary of the visit by the Von Uffenbach brothers to Le Blon in Amsterdam in 1711' (part I, pp. cxxvi–cxxviii, fig. 77).
For a preview, including the contents, click here (PDF, 5.3MB).
Elizabeth Savage & Ad Stijnman, ‘Une histoire des matériaux et techniques de l'impression en couleur en Occident’ = ‘A History of Materials and Techniques for Western Colour Printing’, in Under the Rainbow, Lausanne: ECAL, 2018, pp. 171–220, 10 fig.
Ad Stijnman, 'Ink and light - Le Blon’s Coloritto and Newton’s Opticks', in https://www.thinking3d.ac.uk/LeBlon1725/ (19 March 2018).
Elizabeth Savage and Ad Stijnman, ‘Die Farbholzschnitte von Lucas Cranach dem Älteren’, in Lucas Cranach der Ältere: Meister Marke Moderne, eds. Gunnar Heydenreich, Daniel Görres and Beat Wismer, München: Hirmer, 2017, pp. 59–65.
Ad Stijnman, ‘Johannes Teyler (1648–1709?) and Colour Printed Fabric’, (Printing History, 8 September 2017).
§ Read the article online here: https://printinghistory.org/johannes-teyler/.
Johannes Teyler and Dutch Colour Prints, comp. by Ad Stijnman, ed. Simon Turner, 4 pts., Ouderkerk aan den IJssel: Sound & Vision Publishers, in co-operation with The Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, 2017 (The New Hollstein Dutch & Flemish Etchings, Engravings and Woodcuts 1450–1700).
ISBN 978-94-91539-34-4
§ A compilation of the colour prints produced by the workshop of Johannes Teyler and colour prints produced by Amsterdam publishers in 1685–1710.
Ad Stijnman, ‘Hercules Segers’s Printmaking Techniques’, in Hercules Segers, Painter Etcher, eds. Huigen Leeflang, Pieter Roelofs, 2 vols., Amsterdam: Rijks Museum, 2016, vol. 2, pp. 74–89.
§ Exhibitions in the Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, 7 October 2016–7 January 2017, https://www.rijksmuseum.nl/nl/pers/persberichten/rijksmuseum-toont-compleet-overzicht-hercules-segers and in the Metropolitan Museum, New York, 13 February–21 May 2017, https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2017/hercules-segers/segers-closer-look.
Printing Colour 1400–1700: History, Techniques, Functions and Receptions, eds. Ad Stijnman and Elizabeth Savage (Upper), Leyden: Brill, 2015
ISBN 978-90-04-26968-2
§ Discusses the first three centuries of western colour printing. Includes Part 1: An Introduction to Colour in Printmaking 1400–1700; Part 2: The Advent of Colour Printing, c.1400–1500; Part 3: The Renaissance in Colour, c.1476–1600; Part 4: Vivid Mannerism, c.1588–1650; Part 5: Product Innovation and Commercial Enterprise, c.1620–1700; Conclusion: Jacob Christoff Le Blon and the Invention of Trichromatic Colour Printing, c.1710.
This volume was awarded an honourable mention for best books on prints by the IFPDA in 2016: http://www.ifpda.org/book_award.
Download the Introduction (PDF, 1.1MB) and Chapter 1 (PDF, 6.6MB) here: https://hab.academia.edu/AdStijnman (scroll down to Articles & Book Chapters).
Ad Stijnman and Elizabeth Savage (Upper), '“Material Colour”: The Heritage of Colour Knowledge in Seventeenth- and Eighteenth-Century Printshops', in Colour Histories: Science, Art, and Technology in the 17th and 18th centuries, eds. Magdalena Bushart and Friedrich Steinle, Berlin; Boston: de Gruyter, 2015, pp. 95–113, 364–369 (colour plates).
§ Discusses the development of colour printmaking in relief and intaglio from the fifteenth century and how this did lead to the colour prints of the seventeenth and eighteenth century. Download the chapter here (PDF, 2.9MB).
Ad Stijnman and Elizabeth Upper (now Savage), ‘Color Prints before Erhard Ratdolt: Engraved Paper Instruments in Lazarus Beham’s Buch von der Astronomie (Cologne: Nicolaus Götz, c.1476)’, Gutenberg-Jahrbuch 89 (2014), pp. 86–105.
§ With a bibliography of incunabula illustrated with copper engravings: pp. 103–105.
Ad Stijnman, ‘A Short History of Color Mezzotint: From Printing Color to Making Art’, in Time of the Mezzotint: Colors beyond the Stars, Tokyo: Musée Hamaguchi Yozo, Yamase Collection, 2014, pp. 6–9.
Melanie Grimm, Claudia Kleine-Tebbe and Ad Stijnman, Lichtspiel und Farbenpracht: Entwicklungen des Farbdrucks 1500–1800, exh. cat., Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2011 (Wolfenbütteler Hefte; 29).
§ Published on the occasion of an exhibition on colour prints and colour printed book illustrations from 1500–1800. With a generous introduction to the subject. Themes discussed are book decoration, titlepages with chiaroscuro woodcuts, titelpages with black-red woodcuts, titlepages with intaglio prints, portraits, astronomy, anatomy, sample books for goldsmiths, art reproductions.
ISBN 978-3-447-06457-6
Ad Stijnman, Hochzeit von Bild und Buch: Anfänge der Druckgraphik 1420–1515, ed. Claudia Kleine-Tebbe, exh. cat., Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2009 (Wolfenbütteler Hefte; 26).
ISBN 978-3-447-06153-7
§ Published on the occasion of an exhibition on medieval prints and book illustrations. Materials discussed are woodblocks stamped on blank pages of books, prints pasted into manuscripts and books, blockbooks, blind embossed woodcuts in books, the earliest exlibris, the earliest examples of colour printing in books, colour printed illustrations, colour printed printers’ devices, engravings printed in colour, engraved book illustrations, metalcuts, pasteprints.
Rob Meijer, Helen C.M. Schretlen and Ad Stijnman, Coloritto, de kunst van het kleurendrukken: uit de Collectie Van Huffel, exh. cat., Amsterdam: Dr. P.A. Tiele-Stichting, Universiteitsbibliotheek Amsterdam, 2003.
ISBN 90-6125-134-6
§ Discusses the collection of print and printing processes of N.G. van Huffel (1869–1936), his special interest in historical colour printing and lithography. With a chronology of the history of colour printing.
Bibliography of the 15th century
Ad Stijnman, ‘Septem Peccata Mortalia: A Newly Found First State of a Xylographic Single Sheet Text 1470–80’, in Wolfenbütteler Notizen zur Buchgeschichte 42, 1–2 (2017), ed. Andrea Opitz, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2018, pp. 45–62: 6 Fig.
Ad Stijnman and Elizabeth Upper (now Savage), ‘Color Prints before Erhard Ratdolt: Engraved Paper Instruments in Lazarus Beham’s Buch von der Astronomie (Cologne: Nicolaus Götz, c.1476)’, Gutenberg-Jahrbuch 89 (2014), pp. 86–105.
§ With a bibliography of incunabula illustrated with copper engravings: pp. 103–105.
Ad Stijnman, ‘The Colours of Black: Printing Inks for Blockbooks’, in Blockbücher des 15. Jahrhunderts, eine Experimentierphase im frühen Buchdruck: Beiträge der Fachtagung in der Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek München am 16. und 17. Februar 2012, ed. Bettina Wagner, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 2013 (Bibliothek und Wissenschaft; 46), pp. 59–80.
§ Download here (PDF, 12.2MB).
Ad Stijnman, ‘Ein unbekanntes Blockbuch in Cod. Guelf. 1189 Helmst. der Herzog August Bibliothek, Wolfenbüttel’, Gutenberg Jahrbuch 84 (2009), pp. 79–94.
Art technological source research
Based on my initial concept, further ideas by Christoph Krekel, and extensive discussion amongst an international team of researchers active in the fields of art history, art technology and conservation science the working group Art Technological Source Research was founded on 20 March 2002, organised its first international symposium in 2004 and joined ICOM-CC in 2008.
Check here for details: https://www.icom-cc.org/en/working-groups/art-technological-source-research.
Ad Stijnman, ‘Some Thoughts on Realia: Material Sources for Art Technological Source Research’, in The Artist's Process, Technology and Interpretation: Proceedings of the Fourth Symposium of the Art Technological Source Research Working Group, eds. Sigrid Eyb-Green, Joyce H. Townsend, Mark Clarke, Jilleeen Nadolny and Stefanos Kroustallis, London: Archetype, 2012, pp. 18–20.
§ Ideas are presented about art technological sources other than textual or audiovisual documents. These last two attract the majority of attention, not least because they are by definition meant for communication. The use of material sources or realia is still underestimated in the field of art technological sources, though sources can be rich suppliers of information. Particular expertise is however required for full comprehension of their content.
Download here (PDF, 479KB).
Ad Stijnman, ‘A short-title bibliography of the Secreti by Alessio Piemontese’, in The Artist's Process, Technology and Interpretation: Proceedings of the Fourth Symposium of the Art Technological Source Research Working Group, eds. Sigrid Eyb-Green, Joyce H. Townsend, Mark Clarke, Jilleeen Nadolny and Stefanos Kroustallis, London: Archetype, 2012, pp. 32-47.
§ The Secreti (Venice 1555) by Alessio Piemontese ranks amongst the most popular in the genre of ‘books of secrets’. Its combination of medical, cosmetic and art technological recipes proved successful with many editions, reworked versions and translations during more than two centuries after its first publication. It is a prime example of how fast and how widely new publications were recognised and republished in that period. This is an exhaustive bibliography of 267 title descriptions of those editions that contain art technological recipes (Kunstbücher).
Download here (PDF, 819KB).
Ad Stijnman, ‘Materials for Art Technological Source Research: Theoretical Issues’, in Art Technology, Sources and Methods: Proceedings of the Second Symposium of the Art Technological Source Research Working Group, eds. Stefanos Kroustallis, Joyce H. Townsend, Elena Cenalmor Bruquetas, Ad Stijnman and Margarita San Andrés Moya, London: Archetype, 2008, pp. 1–6.
§ Download text only here (PDF, 164KB).
See title below.
Art Technology, Sources and Methods: Proceedings of the Second symposium of the Art Technological Source Research Working Group, eds. Stefanos Kroustallis, Joyce H. Townsend, Elena Cenalmor Bruquetas, Ad Stijnman and Margarita San Andrés Moya, London: Archetype, 2008.
ISBN 978-1-904982-29-6
§ Discusses art technological source research from the question whether it can be an academic discipline (yes).
Art of the Past, Sources and Reconstructions: Proceedings of the First Symposium of the Art Technological Source Research Study Group, eds. Mark Clarke, Joyce H. Townsend and Ad Stijnman, London: Archetype, 2005.
ISBN 1-904982-01-08
§ Discusses the use of art technological source research in relation to the reconstruction of historical materials, techniques, tools and apparatus.
Artists catalogues
Ad Stijnman, henc: retrospectief henc van maarseveen, eds. Floor de Graaf, Chris Reitsma and Ad Stijnman, exh. cat., Utrecht: Begijnekade 18, 2011.
ISBN 978-90-78019-32-9
§ Published on the occasion of a retrospective exhibition of the graphic work of Dutch printmaker Henc van Maarseveen (1926–2012).
Contact me for a free copy.
Ad Stijnman, “I am Nagasaki”, Solo 9, Zaandam: Kwak & Van Daalen & Ronday, 2005.
§ Special issue on the first print series of my print project reflecting on the atomic bombing of Nagasaki on 9 August 1945.
For the complete Nagasaki project: http://www.geocities.jp/print88x/TulipGraphics/page7.html.
Contact me for a free copy.
Ad Stijnman, Sensu: hedendaagse bedrukte waaiers van Japanse en Nederlandse kunstenaars, exh. cat., Den Haag: Vereniging voor Originele Grafiek, 2004.
§ Published on the occasion of an exhibition of Japanese style fans printed by contemporary Dutch and Japanese artists.