Modern Art Prints - 1Earth Antiques and Appraisals Magazine

Learn how to choose wisely

Andy Warhol's Four Marilyns

Master of pop prints:
Andy Warhol's Four Marilyns

Aquatints, etchings, engravings, lithographs, silk screens, serigraphs... works on paper are a viable and affordable way to collect important artists, from late 19th-century Currier & Ives or Audubon works, to modern prints from 1900-1945 (e.g., Miro or Picasso), to the more contemporary works of Andy Warhol or Jim Dine.

Once a collector makes the decision to invest in a print, condition becomes a primary concern. Condition directly affects value, the decision to buy, and decisions on preserving a print to retain its value.

While location and scope of damage are weighed against rarity, condition can make or break a print in the marketplace.

A Picasso lithograph,
available from PictureStore

Kandinsky's
Accords Opposes

In a recent appraisal of an Audubon Great Auk chromo-lithograph (purchased from a reputable gallery), the piece was devalued by 75 percent because the margins were trimmed off (removing the print's entire history, including plate number and publishing information).

A savvy collector will become familiar with the work of specific artists, including print style, periods, and edition sizes (a good reference is the Catalogue Raisonné); then learn to recognize condition issues sometimes glossed over by dealers or at auction. Train yourself to ask the right questions, and you'll be taken more seriously.

Here are some more tips about the finer points of print conditions:

FIRST IMPRESSIONS
When buying a work on paper, it's important to see it unframed. Ask the dealer to remove the print from its frame. Aside from obvious damage (rips, creases, mold, buckling), you want to know:

Leonardo da Vinci

Leonardo da Vinci

How long has the dealer had the print?
How was it mounted or framed?
What kind of paper was used? Can you see the watermark?
Is it mounted on a board, glued down on any sort of backing? This may indicate previous damage or unsophisticated handling.
Are the margins trimmed? The margins hold history. History of condition, and history of authenticity — including the plate number, and sometimes the artist's signature. If you can't see this information, the print may be a reproduction.

Lady Apart, by Paul Klee

MOLD
Foxing, concentrated patches of reddish brown discoloration, is a major condition issue. Foxing grows, and if not arrested, can destroy the integrity of paper. It's less problematic in the margins, and can be stabilized, or slowed, by a restorer. Don't try to do it yourself, and never trim margins.

Smeared inks or buckling, curling paper can indicate water damage, which may lead to mold (which takes time to develop). A conservator can tell if steps have been taken to arrest the damage.

Care, Framing, and Display

Never "touch up" a print.

Avoid glue, which leaches onto paper, creating brown spots.
Touch unframed prints sparingly; wear white cotton gloves.
Reef's Footbridge, an aquatint
by George Joe Mess

Mats and backboards should be acid-free, 100 percent ragboard or alkaline-buffered matboard made especially for preservation purposes.
Avoid commercial tapes. Use acid-free adhesives instead.
Before 1980, many commercial framers used poor-quality materials. Prints mounted on dry, acidic cardboard should be separated from the mounts.
Frames should be well-sealed to keep out air and moisture.
Frame with UV filtering glass (which can also be used in windows).
Low light is recommended; light causes fading, discoloration and loss of vibrancy. The ultraviolet rays in direct sunlight are particularly harmful, as are fluorescent and halogen lights. Ordinary household light bulbs, which contain low UV, are best. As all bulbs give off heat, they shouldn't be placed close to prints.
Avoid extreme temperature fluctuations. Moist conditions accelerate deterioration, and mold spreads in the presence of high heat and humidity. In humid conditions, use fans to circulate air, discouraging mold growth.

Cotton Pickers, a lithograph
by George Schreiber

Storage
Unframed works should be protected (matting preferred). When storing, use folders larger than the print itself, rigid enough to give support, and made of lignin-free, buffered stock. Lignin is an organic substance that, with cellulose, forms the chief part of woody tissue, which gives off acidic gases. Store the folders in a lignin-free box.

Conservation
Develop a relationship with a conservator who specializes in works on paper. Conservators (different from restorers) have interdisciplinary knowledge in chemistry and other sciences related to art, while restorers traditionally focus on the appearance of the work, as opposed to its long-term soundness.

For more information, visit the American Institute for Conservation's web site at http://aic.stanford.edu/.

Lithograph, etching, woodcut, and aquatint images courtesy of