The graphic arts department of the Louvre museum and the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Caen are collaborating on an exhibition that brings together the Edmond de Rothschild print collection and the Mancel collection around the practice of water-based printingstrong in Italy from the 16th to the 18th century.

From the 16th century, engraving, especially with burin and dry point, became the preferred instrument for disseminating the compositions of the great Italian masters. It is the object of particular attention by painters who wish to control the way in which their works are reproduced, and therefore associate themselves with professional engravers. The invention of etching, an engraving technique that makes it possible to draw directly on the matrix covered with varnish rather than engraving the metal plate, which is easier to master, is a major turning point. This new technique allows artists to go beyond the question of reproduction quality and explore for themselves the plastic possibilities offered by this new medium. This development, noticeable first in Italy, is reflected by the development of a practice of etching by painters, and by the artists taking charge of their own artistic reputation.

Francesco Mazzola, known as Parmigianino, whose exceptional collection is preserved in the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Caen, was one of the first to fully embrace etching. It was followed in the 17th century by painters such as Guido Reni, Salvatore Rosa, Castiglione and, in the 18th century, Canaletto and Tiepolo who were seduced by the technical and aesthetic possibilities offered by etching. At the heart of European artistic exchanges, Italy is proving to be an essential meeting point for new painters