Hands up if you knew that Eastern University in Wayne had such a remarkable collection of prints.
We’re talking about prints spanning almost 500 years, from the 16th to 20th centuries, by such luminaries as Goya, Rembrandt, Chagall and Degas, representing a range of printmaking styles and techniques.
How did they come by that?In the 1960s New York attorney Harry C. Goebel donated a collection of 1,300 prints to the university.
What made you mention it?Montgomery County Community College will be hosting “Master Prints from the Goebel Collection” the first major exhibition of the collection, featuring 63 prints from the Goebel collection. The oldest selection on display is a woodcut by German polymath Albrecht Durer from 1509, while one of the latest prints is a 1966 linoleum block print by Richard Smith.
Is this at Montco’s Blue Bell campus?
Yes, in the Fine Arts Center Gallery. The MCCC Central Campus is at 340 DeKalb Pike, Whitpain. Admission is free.
What are some pieces I should remember to look at?
Significant artists include Jacques Callot, a 16th century French printmaker who designed series of comical figures and the disasters of war; Rembrandt van Rijn, who depicted both the high and low in his art; Francisco de Goya, whose dark fantasies pushed the boundaries of printmaking in the late 18th and early 19th centuries; and members of the Impressionist circle, including Berthe Morisot. In a press release from MCCC, galleries director Patrick Rodgers said: “The important detail to remember about prints is they can be reproduced multiple times from a single plate or block. It is a democratic medium, designed to put images and text before the largest number of people possible; and our exhibition shows how artists have used this medium over the centuries for personal, commercial and political ends.
For example, German artist Kathe Kollwitz used her prints to promote socialist and pacifist themes, while Colombian artist Omar Rayo’s relief print of a shopping bag is a cheeky comment on modern consumerism.”
How long do I have to see “Master Prints?”
The exhibit will be on display through Jan. 6. The gallery is open 8 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays, and 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Fridays.
Weekend tours for groups are available by appointment by contacting Rodgers at prodgers@mc3.edu or (215) 619-7349. The tours are free and take approximately an hour.