Starting a new Blog.

I am starting this blog today for the benefit of antique, rare, scarse prints and maps collectors. I have been collecting prints and maps for the last 5 years. I am mostly interested in old prints and maps, but also in antique illustrated books and antique art and master prints.

The difference between these is mostly determined by the purpose for which they were made. Some prints were mostly made as an illustration accompanying written text. They were bound in books and some of those books can be quite rare. Other prints were also in books, but the purpose now is the print itself as part of a prints book. Examples of a prints books are Prints bibles, Ornithology books, Flora books, Art books and Atlasses. In some books there is a balance between print and word like for example in an Emblem book. Lastly, there are prints solely made as a print. The utmost example perhaps being an etching by Rembrandt van Rijn. Often these prints are referred to as Master Prints. Master Prints are sometimes true pieces of art like a Rembrandt etching, but they can also be made for reproductive purposes like an engraving of an existing piece of art. Examples are the many engravings after Peter Paul Rubens or Francois Boucher.

So, this seems to me a good start for this blog. If you would like to add to it don't hesitate and I am definately looking forward to it.