The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1859-03-10

AUDUBoN's BIRDS.

AUDUBONs BIRDS.
People OF taste, and all the patrons of
natural history and the fine arts, will be
gratified to learn that the great work of J.
j. Audubon is now in course of republca'
tion in this city, by Mr.. J. w. Audubon,
under the superintendent of tho litho.
graphic cngraver, Mr.. j. Ben, who executes
the plates. We have examined seven Of
these that have just been completed, form
ing the first number Of the serial issue.-
They are much superior as works of art to
the engravings executed in England under
the personal superintendent of the distin-
guishcd ornithologist.
While examining the work, the engraver
gave us an explanation of the methods em-
ployed by him Of producing the plates, tho
finest and most costly varieties Of litlo-
graphic printing. The original paintings of
Audubon, ..om which Mr.. Bien makes his
engravngs, present variety OF colors'
which it is, Of course, impossible to produce
by one impression from lthographic stone.
To evadc this difficulty, three, four or even
five stones Of large size are prepared for
he same picture; the plates arc II by 40
inches in dimension.
Upon each of the stones an exactly sim
liar outline is made, representing, for exam
pie, magnificent group-a celebrated one
OF Audubon's-of hawk pouncing upon
brood Of chickens. The talons of the
bird are thrown forward, right and left, in
kind of sparring attitude, as if he would
claw up the entire brood, or at least clutch
as many chickens as possible in each foot.
The wings slightly rctracted, the head
with glittering eyes ready to assist the saw
age poise of the talons the terrified prey,
struggling vainly to elude the winged
death it is carnivorous nature caught and
fixed in one Of her most brilliant and tran
sient attitudes.
Four outlines made upon the four stones
are each for a separate color. The yellow
comes first. Wherever there is yellow to
be represented in the picture-not only as
body or surface color, but as a basis for
the other colors through which it is to show
transparently-thc drawing is completed up
on the stone.
A very finely prepared yellow oil paint
is put upon the stone by roller but, by
the usual art Of lthography, it adheres only
where it should, to the parts of the draw
ing intended to be yellow. From this
yellow impressions are taken. These are
then printed with red or brown, which goes
partly over the yellow, and covers some of
the paper ITSELF Then comes other colors,
concluding always with blue, to give sky,
distance, air, perspective ard shading.
Very fine paints, ground with extraordi-
nary care, have to be used in this style of
art. The best are those that show no traces
of oil, or are what painters call "dead
color" the most difficult of all to obtain.
Ordinary paints have gloss or shine from
the oil contained in them, which is highly
injurious in lithography. The result Of
Mr.. Bien's labors upon this work has been
the production Of colored plates equal in
effect to fine oil paintings. In the English
eugravings of Audubon's work, the skies
were omitted, and very lean fairgrounds
and accessories introduced. All the parts
have been carefully restored by Mr.. Bien,
who not only surpasses the foreign engra-
YER in his detail, but in giving the full artis.
tic effect, covering the entire plate with
landscape, figures and foliage.
In order to save space and reduce the
cost Of the work to subscribers, Mr.. Bien
has in some instances combined several of
the original pictures in one plate. In the
English edition, single small bird and
nest might be seen spotting the middle of
a vast expanse of paper. This tasteless and
expensive island of bird in an ocean Of
page has been properly and skiIlfulIy avoid
ed.
The expense of the entire work will be
less than half the price Of the original Eng
lish edition.-New York Century.
How melancholy the moon must feel
when it has enjoyed the fullness of pros
perity, and got reduced to its last quarter.
In ancient days the precept was, "a Know
thyselfn In modern times IL hns. baen sun