The Kupferstich-Kabinett (Collection of Prints, Drawings and Photographs) has a exceptional collection of Dutch drawings of the 16th century at its disposal. These holdings have been researched on in the past years in a project supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation). The extensive collection makes it possible to come up with a typology of drawings dating from the 16th century, which is extensively discussed in a publication. One hundred masterpieces of the collection are to go on view in a special exhibition. Among the art works are the Goose Keeper by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, landscapes by Roelant Savery, and works by Frans Floris, Aertgen van Leyden and Hendrik Goltzius. Moreover, Maarten van Heemskerck, Jacob de Gheyn II, Jan Gossaert, Quentijn Massys, Dirck de Vries, Hieronymus Cock, Barent van Orley, Hendrik Vroom, Jan de Beer and other artists will be presented.
A rarity is a so-called fish glue transparency, a precursor of tracing paper, with which motives were copied.
In the Dresden collection, the art of 16th century drawing is presented with its major departments, because its foundations date back to the collection of the Leipzig councilman Gottfried Wagner (1652−1725), which comprised of nearly 10.000 works and which already came to Dresden in 1728.
