Tinker Tinker

Tinker Tinker: Printmakers at Work is an upcoming exhibition at the National Gallery of Art that takes an intimate look at the experimental and iterative nature of printmaking. Through more than 120 prints drawn from the gallery’s own collection, the show covers 500 years of artistic problem-solving, featuring works by masters such as Pablo Picasso, Mary Cassatt, and Rembrandt. The exhibition highlights rarely seen proofs and pairs prints side by side so visitors can trace the revisions, choices, and creative thinking behind each image. It runs from December 19, 2026, through June 13, 2027, in the West Building of the National Gallery on the National Mall.

The exhibition’s premise is that printmaking is inherently dynamic: artists test an idea again and again, recording each decision along the way. By revealing the working process behind iconic printed images, Tinker Tinker offers a fresh appreciation for how centuries-old techniques continue to influence contemporary artists. The show is organized by the National Gallery of Art and curated by Rena M. Hoisington, curator and head of old master prints. Selected works on display include prints by Edvard Munch, Pierre Bonnard, Gustave Baumann, Käthe Kollwitz, and Leonardo Drew, among others.

When: December 19, 2026 – June 13, 2027. The museum is open daily from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., with extended evening hours on select nights for the Sculpture Garden through September 5.

Where: West Building, Ground Floor, Gallery G23, National Gallery of Art, 6th and Constitution Ave NW, Washington, DC 20565.

Tickets: Admission is always free and passes are not required.

What to expect: More than 120 prints from the past 500 years, presented with side-by-side comparisons that reveal artists’ revisions, experimental proofs, and creative decision-making. The exhibition shows how printmakers test ideas repeatedly and record their choices, giving visitors insight into the working processes behind original works of art in print form.

Selected works: Edvard Munch’s “Two Women on the Shore” (color woodcut and linoleum cut), Pierre Bonnard and Edouard Ancourt’s “Poster for 'France-Champagne'” (color lithograph), Gustave Baumann’s “Bright Angel Trail” (color woodcut), Käthe Kollwitz’s “The People (Das Volk)” (woodcut proof), and Leonardo Drew and Crown Point Press’s “CPP3” (color aquatint and etching).

Curator: Rena M. Hoisington, curator and head of old master prints.

Organized by: The National Gallery of Art, Washington.