A printmaking technique that produces a unique, one-off image by painting or drawing on a smooth surface and then transferring it to paper. Unlike other print methods, each monotype is singular and unrepeatable.
From Greek 'monos' (single) and 'typos' (impression), coined in the 17th century by Giovanni Benedetto Castiglione who developed the technique. The term emphasizes the method's unique characteristic of producing only one impression.
Degas was obsessed with monotypes, creating over 300 of them because he loved their unpredictable, spontaneous quality that mimicked his interest in capturing fleeting moments! The technique bridges the gap between painting and printmaking, offering the immediacy of drawing with the transfer magic of printing.
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