Pressing Images: prints from Exeter’s fine art collection will uncover the roots of printmaking in early modern Europe. The exhibition will illustrate to visitors the results of the dawn of the revolution brought about by the introduction of the printing press, which democratised art by making images accessible and affordable for the first time. This ground-breaking invention paved the way for mass-produced images, transforming art from an exclusive luxury into a shared cultural experience.

A multifaceted selection of forty-five works on paper and print plates, woodblocks and other printing tools will lead audiences on a captivating journey through time, from 16th-century woodcuts to the cutting-edge creations of the 21st century.

Highlights include ‘Adam and Eve’ after the German master Albrecht Dürer (1504), one of the earliest surviving woodblocks by Jost Amman (1539-1591), William Hogarth’s 18th-century satirical engravings, 19th-century Japanese prints, works by Devon-born trailblazer Dorothea Wight (1944-2013), and much more.