To mark the 30th anniversary of the London Original Print Fair (LOPF), a loan exhibition of 30 Print Highlights from the Royal Collection will be featured. The exhibition runs from 23-26 April at the Royal Academy of Arts, alongside LOPF. The selection demonstrates the strength and diversity of the Royal Collection, including not only prints by or after recognised masters such as Dürer, Raphael, Castiglione and Canaletto, but also portraits, topographical prints, maps, prints of historic events, and prints executed by royal printmakers, among them Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. Together they embody the full range of techniques available to printmakers over three and a half centuries.
The London Original Print Fair is the world’s longest running specialist fair dedicated to prints. Since its inception in 1985, the fair has grown from 16 specialist print dealers to 50 of the world’s leading print publishers, galleries and dealers. Between them they offer expert knowledge of Old Master printmakers through to the techniques used today by contemporary artists working with print. Artists represented at the fair include Rembrandt, Whistler, Sickert, Picasso, Warhol and contemporary artists such as Bridget Riley, Howard Hodgkin and Grayson Perry RA. Throughout history, leading artists have chosen to work in print, and LOPF showcases the very best.
LOPF has become a firm favourite with established collectors and is an ideal starting place for those new to collecting. Works range from a few hundred pounds to tens of thousands. Editions rarely seen on the market are sold alongside newly published full editions offered for sale at special launch prices. The boutique nature of the fair offers visitors an exclusive chance to learn about the practice of printmaking and what to look for when starting or building a print collection.