Drypoint

ドライポイント / 15th century–present / Technique / Intaglio Printing

An intaglio method that scratches the plate directly. Ink held by the groove and its raised burr gives the line a soft fringe, ranging from dense black to a faint trace. Unlike etched lines, these marks need no acid; the burr wears during printing, so impressions can differ.

Drypoint — Rembrandt van Rijn, Christ Presented to the People, 1655, drypoint, state II/VIII — Saint Louis Art Museum — Wikimedia Commons / Public domain — Rembrandt van Rijn, Christ Presented to the People, 1655, drypoint, state II/VIII — Saint Louis Art Museum — Wikimedia Commons / Public domain

At a glance

Visual cues

Small irregularities in scratched lines
Soft fringes from the raised burr
Dense black beside faint marks
Line character changes between impressions

Best used for

Exhibitions and teaching that compare Drypoint with neighbouring print techniques
Publications studying lines, tones and paper through documented works

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Dictionary entry

Type: Keep lettering in the work separate from added labels; place medium, artist and date outside the image.
Composition: Compare line density and softness in both details and whole impressions.
Material: Check the collection medium record and the paper and ink; do not infer materials from screen colour alone.
Caution: A fuzzy digital line does not identify drypoint. Check the plate process and mixed techniques; later impressions may have less burr.
Further study: Rembrandt — Christ Presented to the People / Burr, plate wiping and impressions / MoMA — Louise Bourgeois drypoints

Related entries

Etching (エッチング／腐食銅版画)Same Intaglio Printing lineage.Compare Drypoint and Etching
Engraving / Burin Engraving (エングレーヴィング（彫刻凹版）)Same Intaglio Printing lineage.Compare Drypoint and Engraving / Burin Engraving

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