The New Hollstein

[Vol. 2].

Wenceslaus Hollar (1607 Prague - 1677 London) was one of the most important artists of the 17th century. His international career, affluent patrons, and insatiable curiosity enabled him to create a diverse range of prints and drawings, remarkable for their varied subject matter and exceptional technical qualities. Hollar's oeuvre includes cities and fortifications, portraits, religious subjects, politics, mythology, architecture, heraldry and numismatics, antiquarian relics, costume, maps, sports, classical literature, landscape views, 'Old Master' drawings and paintings, and natural history. His work invokes his close observation of, and engagement with, the natural world, as much as the society of his times. Unfortunately, Hollar has received less attention than many of his contemporaries. He has all too often been undervalued as being primarily a 'reproductive printmaker' - one who reproduces in print the designs of others, or simply copies paintings into print. This volume seeks to revise how Hollar has formerly been characterized, through an exploration of hitherto unexamined drawings, as well as the more innovative qualities of his printmaking. It includes new research on Hollar's biography and his patrons, fresh perspectives on Hollar's portraits and urban scenes, and insights into Hollar's forays into the natural world. Partly the outcome of a 2010 symposium held at the Thomas Fisher Rare Books Library at the University of Toronto (repository of third largest collection of Hollar prints), this book comprises contributions from nine international print scholars, from Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, Germany, England, and The Netherlands. Their work on Hollar reaffirms his importance not only to the history of printmaking, but also to the art, science and culture of his times.

This edited volume demonstrates the potential of mixed-methods designs for the research of social networks and the utilization of social networks for other research. Mixing methods applies to the combination and integration of qualitative and quantitative methods. In social network research, mixing methods also applies to the combination of structural and actor-oriented approaches. The volume provides readers with methodological concepts to guide mixed-methods network studies with precise research designs and methods to investigate social networks of various sorts. Each chapter describes the research design used and discusses the strengths of the methods for that particular field and for specific outcomes.

"Rembrandt was the most original printmaker of all time. In no fewer than 300 images he covered the full range of styles and subjects for which he is celebrated, including self-portraits, scenes from the Bible, vignettes of everyday life and character studies. The well-known 'Hundred Guilder print', the 'Three Trees' and the 'Three Crosses' are among his most extraordinary creations. He was also famously experimental, often reworking and scratching at his copper plates to improve and extend their expressive power. The results can look startlingly modern, and continue to inspire artists today. This catalogue, compiled by three leading authorities on Rembrandt and printmaking, aims to illustrate a representative selection of his finest prints. Exciting new areas of research have opened up in recent years, making it possible not only to follow the progress of Rembrandt's work on each plate, but also revealing details of his practice of revising the images at various times during his life. The different papers he used will be studied and all the watermarks reproduced. The role played by Rembrandt's preparatory drawings is also now better understood, and all these new insights are presented to a wider public for the first time in this lavishly illustrated volume"--Provided by publisher.