'Prints, overshadowed in the past decade by the popularity of photo art, are back in the mainstream' - Wall Street Journal, April 2003 Art is now part of everyday life. Museums, galleries, art fairs and exhibitions are potent crowd-pullers, the visitors looking for enjoyment and delight as well as instruction and education. Financial advisors suggest art as an investment - especially at the very affordable level of original prints. Yet what if the enthusiastic collector finds that what they bought is not what they thought it was? Can you be sure of the difference between a photographic reproduction and an original lithograph or etching? And when thousands of T-shirts are printed with silkscreen images, when can a silkscreen be a limited edition print? And does a signature guarantee authenticity? What about new technology, too - how are computer graphics programmes used by artists as well as fakers? Today, more than ever, these and a hundred other questions need accurate answers, to help the collector buy with knowledge as well as enthusiasm. Even if you make a single purchase, the information will multiply your enjoyment and understanding of this millennia-old art form. This practical book has been put together with the vital support of international artists, dealers, auction houses, and print publishers. Written in clear language for the new buyer, it also explains terminology which even professional dealers find confusing. A first section offers general advice on every aspect of collecting, featuring a unique dictionary of terms used in making, cataloguing and selling prints. The second deals with conversion, framing, and hanging to make the most of every purchase, with suggested record- keeping for investment, for insurance and valuation, and as a pointer to future acquisition. The third section describes the techniques of printmaking, with a brief history of each medium, a guide to identification and how to assess condition and quality. A fourth reference and resources section includes a selective A-Z of artists.

As downhill skiing became popular in 20th-century Europe, resorts in the Austrian, German, French, and Swiss Alps commissioned paintings of their ski runs to turn into maps. The best of these paintings are now featured in this book showing the artists' ability to combine technical virtuosity, geographic information, and creative flair. The undoubted master of panoramic map painting is H. C. Berann, and many examples of his works are shown in this beautiful volume, along with a select handful of artists from throughout Europe. Detailing scenes of the Alpine range from Slovenia to France, each of these images was created by hand from aerial photography, mostly shot by the artists on helicopter rides through the mountains. The paintings themselves cleverly combine multiple perspectives so that all trails, terrain, and mountain features are visible. In these exquisite reproductions, the paintings have been stripped of all references to the ski trails, allowing viewers to focus entirely on the beauty of the colours, composition, and detail. A joy to study and savour, these dramatic and vivid paintings recall a time when the human hand was the best means of translating the Alps' towering beauty to the general public.