What Is a Remarque Print?
A remarque print has a small extra image or mark, often placed in the margin. The hard part is knowing how that image got there. Historically, a remarque was worked into a printmaking plate or stone. It was then transferred to paper as part of a proof. Some artists now use the same word for a drawing added by hand to a finished print or reproduction.
These are different production methods. One image comes from a worked printing surface. The other is drawn on one sheet after the base image has been printed. The word “remarque” alone does not settle which method was used. You need to identify both the base image and the added image.
The Traditional Remarque Was Worked Into the Matrix
The California Society of Printmakers glossary defines a traditional remarque as a small sketch or mark drawn or cut into the margin of a plate or stone. It was often placed near the lower margin. Artists used it to help identify different working states while developing the image.
A matrix is the surface from which an image is transferred to paper or another material. A metal plate, lithographic stone, wood block, or screen can serve as a matrix. If the remarque is part of that surface, ink transfers the extra mark during printing. The artist does not need to redraw it on every sheet.
The resulting impression was called a remarque proof. According to the glossary, this proof was pulled before the mark was removed. The remarque was then eliminated before the edition was printed. This history matters because a traditional remarque proof is not simply any finished edition print with a small picture in its margin.
Matrix-Printed Image vs. Hand-Drawn Addition
In the traditional examples described here, the remarque is worked into a plate or stone. It transfers when that surface is printed. If several impressions are pulled before the mark is removed, the transferred mark can appear on each of those impressions.
A hand-drawn remarque is made in another way. The base image is printed first. The artist then draws directly on an individual finished sheet. That drawing is an original, physical addition. Other sheets may have different drawings or no added drawing at all.
The base image still needs its own description. A hand drawing on a giclée does not make the underlying reproduction a traditional original print. It is more accurate to describe the two parts separately, such as “giclée reproduction with an original hand-drawn remarque.” For more context, see the difference between an art print and an art reproduction. That distinction rests on how the main image was created, not merely on what was added later.
How One Contemporary Artist Uses “Remarque”
Contemporary use varies by artist. Michael Whelan Studio provides one clear, artist-specific example in its Stormbringer with Elric Remarque listing. The studio identifies the base as a signed, open-edition giclée reproduction. It separately says that this version includes an original drawing in the bottom margin.
In this case, “remarque” means an original drawing added to the finished reproduction. The example also shows that a hand-remarqued work does not have to use a limited-edition base. That describes Whelan’s documented offering. It should not be treated as a rule for every artist.
Giclée is a high-quality inkjet reproduction process. Artists and photographers considering a base for their own hand additions can review available papers and border choices for giclee fine art prints. Ordering the giclée itself does not include an artist’s drawing, hand-added signature, or remarque. Any hand work must be created or offered separately. A digital signature already embedded in your uploaded file will print as part of the image.
How to Establish What the Artist Added
Start with a statement for the exact work. Look for records from the artist, publisher, or printer. The description should identify the base object. It should also say whether the marginal image was printed from a matrix or drawn directly on each sheet.
An artist’s-proof designation does not, by itself, establish that a remarque was added. Read more about how an artist’s proof differs from an edition print when AP notation appears in a print description.
Visual inspection may provide clues, but it may not give a firm answer. Similar marks can be hard to classify by sight. When the method matters, rely on work-specific documentation. Use plain wording that names the base process and the process used for the added image.
Final Takeaway
A remarque may be a mark printed from a worked matrix or an original drawing added to one finished sheet. Contemporary use is not universal. Find out how the extra image was made, then describe the base image separately. A hand-drawn remarque can be original while the giclée beneath it remains a reproduction.
FAQ
These answers cover the main production and purchasing questions.
Does Buying a Giclée Automatically Include a Remarque?
No. A giclée is an inkjet reproduction. An artist-added drawing must be stated for that specific offering. Whelan’s listing describes its signed open-edition giclée base and the included original marginal drawing as separate features.
Does a Hand-Drawn Remarque Make the Entire Work an Original Print?
No. The drawing added to that sheet may be original, but an underlying giclée remains a reproduction. Describe both parts and their methods. A hand-added image does not change how the base image was produced.
Must a Remarque Be Part of a Limited Edition?
No. Michael Whelan Studio documents a remarque version built on a signed open-edition giclée. It includes an original drawing in the margin. This supports that specific example and does not define every artist’s practice.
