And the Invaders Came

Robilee Frederick

From the 1979 portfolio of eighteen prints by the Fort Mason Printmakers, "The Herodotus Portfolio," compiled by artist Eleanor Rappe. Each print is a different artist's interpretation of a portion of the Histories of Herodotus. Considered the earliest record of Western history, the Histories spans the major political, cultural, geological, and religious happenings of Western Asia, Northern Africa, and Greece up to the 5th century BC as written by the ancient Greek historian Herodotus.

The Fort Mason Printmakers created several portlios that centered around a theme, working within the confines of particular sheet and plate sizes. The idea was to encourage burgeoning printmakers to work outside of their usual format, and to foster collaboration. Each print bears the stylistic stamp of the artist while remaining harmonious with the works of their cohorts.