Prints created to serve as copies of a painting or drawing by another artist, particularly popular in 17th- to 19th-century Europe. The print is considered a reproductive print if the primary intention was to record artistic heritage, even if the personality of the printmaker has been asserted to a small extent. The term is usually reserved for prints that reproduce another two-dimensional art work; however, occasionally it is also used to refer to prints that portray sculpture or decorative arts, if the printmaker’s primary intention was to record the original art works for a mass audience. Prints depicting architecture are not considered reproductive prints. Prints in which another art work is incidentally depicted as part of a larger subject are not reproductive prints. Reproductive prints are valued because they map the dissemination, reception, and historiography of original works. They were popular in Europe from the 17th through early 19th century, and fell out of fashion with the invention of photography.
