Art lovers in Washington D.C. have something wonderful to look forward to this winter: the National Gallery of Art is opening Tinker Tinker: Printmakers at Work, a joyful new exhibition that reveals how great artists experiment, revise, and discover their way to a masterpiece.
On view from December 19, 2026 through June 13, 2027 in the West Building, the show brings together more than 150 works that trace the creative process across nearly five centuries of printmaking. Visitors will see how legends like Pablo Picasso, Mary Cassatt, Rembrandt van Rijn, Jasper Johns, and Leonardo Drew tinkered with their ideas — from preparatory drawings and early states to progressive color proofs and the final prints.
Every piece comes from the Gallery’s renowned collection of more than 120,000 prints and drawings, so this is a rare chance to witness artistic genius in the making: the trial and error, the happy accidents, and the brilliant problem-solving behind the prints we know and love.
Best of all, admission to the National Gallery of Art is always free, making this the perfect family outing or a sparkling addition to a holiday-season visit to the capital. Come see how the masters made their marks — one layer, one proof, one inspired experiment at a time.
Photo: National Gallery of Art
