I understand that AP on a lithograph denotes an artists proof. What do HC, EA, and BAT mean?
The designation HC stands for Hors Commerce. These are prints pulled with the main edition but are not numbered with it. They are used for commercial purposes such as entering shows or advertising. They are normally not sold. The Mark EA stands for Epreuve D Artiste. This is another designation for Artist’s proof. BAT (Bon A Tirer) is the designation given to the print by which the rest of the edition is evaluated. It a print does not match the BAT it is destroyed. Only those prints that are high enough quality are made part of the edition. The BAT is not part of the numbered edition and typically belongs to the printer rather than the artist.
