"Master of the Playing Cards," the Earliest Known Artist to Produce Copperplate Engravings

The first artist known to produce copperplate engravings, and the "first personality" in the history of Western printmaking, the "Master of the Playing Cards," was active in southwestern Germany - probably in Alsace, from roughly 1435 to 1455. Of this artist about 100 engravings are known. He is associated with playing cards because sixty of his engravings are playing cards— the first cards printed from intaglio plates.