First Impressions: Printers’ Proofs of Works by Great 20th Century Artists

A glimpse into the new exhibition

In First Impressions: Printers’ Proofs of Works by Great 20th Century Artists we lift the lid on the mysteries of printmaking and look at the painstaking process of creating etchings and screenprints. This new exhibition includes proofs by Lucian Freud, Bridget Riley, Peter Blake and Frank Auerbach among other 20th Century greats. It sheds light on the contribution made by the expert printers who work closely with artists and undertake the immensely skilled process of inking the printing plates and putting them through a printing press.

First Impressions will be in the lower gallery and runs from 2 May until 6 July 2025.