The Cleveland Museum of Art's print collection of about 19,000 works is known nationally and internationally for its high quality and rare impressions. It covers the history of printmaking in Europe from its beginnings in the mid 15th century to the present, and has excellent examples of 20th- and 21st-century American and modern Japanese prints. The collection was shaped by local collectors and purchases by the curators, especially in the area of prints by old masters.