Albrecht Dürer Virgin and Child with the Monkey Reichsdruckerei Heliogravure etching

Image: Image: 7” x 4.5”; Sheet: 11” x 7.5”

Similar to what Amand Durand accomplished with his heliogravures in the late-19th Century, the Reichsdruckerei in Berlin created photographic plates of outstanding Renaissance intaglio impressions, etched the lines into copper plates at actual size, and then printed them as intaglio facsimiles. Because the images were taken directly from the original works and the lines were etched to hold ink and print 3-dimensionally like the originals, these facsimiles are remarkably convincing in a way that would be impossible with offset.

Even the clearest reproductions in books fall far short of these amazing intaglio versions.