Simply put photogravure is as confusing as it is beautiful. While some of the most celebrated photographers in the history of the medium chose photogravure as the final expression of their work, today photogravure remains under-recognized by many collectors, gallerists, and even some curators.

Photogravure's history is so complex that it is daunting. The process itself is formidable and varies from practitioner to practitioner. The nomenclature that surrounds it is equally overwhelming. It has never been standardized and everything from a hand made one-of-a-kind masterpiece to a mediocre machine made postcard have all been labeled ‘photogravure.’  It is no wonder the market is confused.

As the layers of the young history of photography are peeled back, the relevance of photogravure is emerging. So much so that The National Gallery of Art recently mounted a small exhibit devoted exclusively to the art of photogravure, the first of its kind. Hand-inked Talbot-Klic photogravures, like those offered on this site, are gaining validity as original vintage prints and may one day find parity with the more expensive vintage works in other more established photographic processes.

Want to learn more? Go deep at photogravure.com.