The history of engraving: from versal letters to pop art

Rare books await you at the Onassis Library, ready for you to leaf through and admire the versal letters (enlarged initial capitals), printer’s marks, headpieces, and ornaments that grace their pages. But that’s not all.

In a single visit, the artists leading this engraving workshop will talk you through the history of engraving and show the entire process for the creation of a work, from first sketch to final print, and from yesteryear right through to the present day.

With the help of new technologies, the art of engraving is evolving, and in the space of just a few hours you’ll get to experience its entire course through history. Get to grips with craft knives, chisels, and burins to engrave your own unique work. Unleash the artist inside! Use specialist tools, sketch and carve, ink your design, and print it too using both old and new techniques of the art of engraving.