Introduction

by Gregory Gilbert, Director of the Art History Program, Associate Professor of Art History, Knox College

The premise of this exhibit and catalogue highlighting Baroque prints from the Famulener and Wilson collections which are part of Knox College's Special Collections in Seymour Library is to focus attention on the important contribution 17th century artists made to the development of Baroque printmaking.
The title Outside the Shadow of Rembrandt refers to the fact that frequently issues of 17th century printmaking are analyzed almost exclusively from the standpoint of Rembrandt's achievements in the graphic arts, such as the landmark 1981 exhibition at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts Printmaking in the Age of Rembrandt.

Our project does not aim to diminish or ignore the seminal influence of Rembrandt on the development of 17th century printmaking. Rather, we aim to give attention to prints by other artists within the Baroque era, who have been less studied than Rembrandt, and to recognize that many of the technical, artistic and thematic advancements associated with Rembrandt's works were also central to the print activities of these artists.