An impressive exhibition of old master prints from the collection of Marian and Belverd Needles, Jr., will begin the season for the DePaul University Art Gallery, 2350 N. Kenmore Ave., Lincoln Park Campus, Sept. 21 through Nov. 21. The exhibition, entitled “Durer to Goya: Three Centuries of Printmaking from the Needles Collection,” opens with a reception Sept. 21 from 5 p.m. until 7 p.m. in the gallery. The exhibition and the reception are free and open to the public.

Fifty-eight prints from the Needles collection have been chosen for the exhibition. According to Louise Lincoln, gallery director, the prints range in date from the late fifteenth to the early nineteenth century, with the majority originating in Northern Europe and including important contributions from Italy and Spain.

“We are fortunate that the quality and breadth of the works from the Needles collection allow the fascinating story of the evolution of printmaking to be told in detail,” said Lincoln. “By observing the development of these works and their authors over three centuries one can follow the emergence of graphic images as works of art, the diversification of subjects treated, the influence of societal change and the historical significance of the collection.”

The collection was built around the three pillars in the history of old master printmaking: Durer (German, 1471-1528), Rembrandt (Dutch, circa 1609-1669) and Goya (Spanish, circa 1800). Other influential artists included are: Brueghel (Flemish, 1525 1569), Callot (French, 1592-1635) and Piranesi (Italian, 1720-1778).

The Needles collection traces the progression of themes followed by the old masters and includes religious prints as well as those of the Rococo artistic style that reflected the libertine lifestyle of the French aristocracy.

Work represented by Albert Durer, the first artist to take advantage of Germany’s invention of the printing press and moveable type, include “The Four Avenging Angels” and “The Annunciation.” Rembrandt van Rijn’s “Death of a Virgin” and “David in Prayer” are included in the exhibition, as well as Francisco Goya y Lucientes’ “Bacchus of the Drunkards” and “Banderillas with Firecrackers.”

Belverd Needles, Jr., is a member of the DePaul University College of Commerce faculty since 1978 and the Arthur Andersen & Co. Alumni Distinguished Professor of Accountancy. He and his wife began collecting prints almost 30 years ago with the purchase of “Ten Pound Hammer” by American Thomas Hart Benton. In the forward of the exhibit catalogue, Needles writes of the connection to the artist that collecting provides: “A lifetime impression of a Durer engraving is the same work that Durer labored over five centuries ago. The fact that it has survived 500 years and can now give us insight into a world that is long past but relevant to us today can be awe-inspiring.”

The art gallery hours are: Monday through Thursday, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Friday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Saturday and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. For more information about this exhibition and future exhibitions at the DePaul Art Gallery, call 773/325-7506 or visit the gallery’s Web site at www.depaul.edu/~gallery.