The Union and journal. [volume] (Biddeford, Me.) 1858-1882, 1868-03-20
Ms,e cAr,..a. ore n..as.

cult branch ofit-which Is nov generally i'm
Piled when chromcs are spoken OTIS the art Of
reproducing oil paintings. when chrome !,
made BY eompcten, hand, it presents an exact
counterpart Of the original painting. with the
delicate grsda,ions Of tints and shades. and with
much Of the spirit AMI tone Of production Of
the brush and pallet.
To understand how chromos are made. the
art Of lithography must hpt be briefly explained.
Tho stone used in li,hognphing sa'Peees VI
limestone found in Bavaria, and is wrought lh'o
thick slabs with finely polishei surface. me
drawing Is male upon the SLAB wiz. so's y,
colorcd soap, which alhcrs 10 the stone' ana
enter, into a chemical combination with II after
the ap,liention OF certain acids and gums. When
the drawing /. complete. the slab Is put on the
pres. AMI carefully dsmpened with sponge.
The oil color flor ink) is then applied with
common ,y;nter'. roller. Of course, the parts
the lab which contain nodrawins, being wet,
resi,t the ink while the drawing itself, being
oiIy rcts,, the water. but retains the color ap-
plici. IL is thus that, without r,isci surface
or in,.icn-as in common printing. woc.l-eu's,
and steel eny,,ing~-lithognphy Prciuces
printed drawings fOm u perfectly smooth stone
In q chrome, the first proof isa light ground-
tint, covering nearly all the surface. IL has
only FAINT, shadowy resemblance to the COM
pleted pictnrr. II i In fact rather shallow
than an outline. The next proof, irom the
second stone, ccntsins all the shades OF another
color. This process is repeated again anu again
and AGAIN OCCASIONALLY, as Often as hirty
times. We saw one proof, In visit to Mr..
all .taas. nj r1lft
had pAss.l through the Prc-- twelve times and
il still bore greater resemblance toa spoiled
colorol photograph THIN To the charming picture
which II subsequently, became. The number of
impressions, however, does not necessarily indI-
cate the number 81 colors in painting, because
the colCrs anil tints are greatly multiplied by
Combinations erea,ei in the prOcess OF printing
one over another. In twenty-five impressions,
il il sometimes nec ssiry and possible to produce
hunircd distinct shses.
The last impression l. made by An engraved
stone, which pruiuces that resemblance TO can
vas noticeable in all II Mr. Prsng's finer speci-
MEMS English anil German chromOs, rs arule,
do not attempt 10 give this delicate hnSl touch,
although Il would SEEM tn lie essential IN orier
to make perfect imitation OF painting.
The paper u.-i is white, heavy ''pla'e paper"
Of the 6cst quality, which has To plSs through a
heavy PRES, she,t by sheet. beiorc its surface Is
fit to receive an impression.
The process thus briefly explained we necd
hardly all, rcluirs equally great skill AMI
judgment u, every stage. A single error is in
st,n,ly detected by the practised eye in the I'M
ishel specimen. The production Of chromo, II
It is at all complicated, requires several months
sometimes several ycars-of CAREFUL prepara-
ton. The mere drawing Of the different and
l.. -. xnTNN
stones u Of itself work that requires an amount
OF labor and dr.rvc Of skill, which to u per-
sou unfamiliar with the process, would appcar
incredible. Still more difficult, anil neciing
still greater skin, Is the process Of coloring.
This demands knowledge which artists have
hitherto almost exclusively monopolzed, and, in
addition to II, the practical familiarity Of
printer with mechanical details. "Drying"
and registering arc a. important branches Of
the art Of making chromos As drawing and coll |
oring On proper registering. for example, the
entire possibility Of producing picture at every
stage Of its progress depends. "ltsgistering"
Is that part OF a pressmsn's work which con- |
sists in so arranging the paper in the press,
that IL shall receive the impression on
exactly the same spot Of every sheet. In book
work, each page must be exactly opposite the
p,-c printed ON the other side Of the sheet, In
orler that the impression, IL ON thin piper, may
not "show through" In newspaper work this
Is not attenlcl TO with any special care. But
in ehromO-lithography the difference Of hairs.
breadth would spoil picture; for 1t would
hOpelessly mix up the eolOrs.
Ater the chrome has passed. through the
pres, il is embossed AMI vanished, and then
put up for the market. These final processes
are for the purpose Of breaking the glossy light,
AMI Of softcning the hard outlines which the
picture receives from the stone. which imparts
to il the resemblance Of t.intng on canvas.
Mr.. Prang began his business in the humblest
way, but has rapidly increased his establish
ment. until he now employs fifty workmen,-I
nearly all Of them are artists and artisans Of
the most skilril class,-and Is preparing to
moyo into larger bulling at Roxbury. lie
uses eighteen presses; and his sales are enor-
NOUS His catalogue now embraces largo
number Of album cards, about seventy sets
Of twelve in ca-h set; n beautiful series Of IL
Illuminated ''Beatitulcs'' AMI "S;riptural Mot
tUcs;" an cnlcss list Of our great men, AMI Of
men not 50 great sftcr all; IL Juveniles, notably,
"a proftisely illustrated edition Of sold Mother |
llubbarl;" anil Of half ehromos and chromos
proper Tait's Chickens" "Ducklings," and
equals" were the first chromcs that met an in
slant AMI wide recognition. Nineteen thousand
copies Of the Chickens alone were sold.
Brichcr's "Elrly Autumn ON Esopus Cpek" Is
one VI the bert chrvmcs ever male on small
scale. The "Buldnch" AMI the "Linnet" (af-
ter Cruiksh1nk) are almiable. There are
other chrOnos which are less successful, and one
or two that are no, successful ut all; but they
are nearly all excellent c,pics Of the originals,
with which the ,lcitcts must he charged.
The chronos Of Brieher's paintings arc raj
ly wonderfully accurate.
Mr.. Prans's IN ,sierpiecc, however, Is not yet
published, although IL Is nearly ready for the
market. II entirely SURPRISES all his previous
efforts. Il is Corressio's "M,GDALESA," AMI
can hardly fail, VIC think, to command quick
sale and helrty recognition.
Like every modern discovery, ehromo-litho-
graphy has it, partisans and detractors-thOse
Who claim Cor il perhaps impossible capabilities,
AMI those who regard Il q mere handicraft,
which no sill can ever elevate into the dignity
OF an art. We 10 not carr to enter into these
disputes. Whether an art or handicntt,
chrOmO-litho;rIPhy certainly rc-Prviuccs charm
ing little picturvs vastly superior To any coorei
plates that W. have had before; and II Is, at
least. clearly eutitlel to be rcgarici as means
ct e,luca,iug the popular taste, and thereby
raising the national IDEAL Of art.
4 correspondent, looking at chromos at this
point OF view. thus indicates Qt may be some
what enthusiastically their possible influence
ON the culture Of the people
"what the discovery Of the art Of printing
dill for the mental growth Of the people, the art
of chromo-litho;riphy seems destined TO accom-
plsh for their aesthetic culture. Before types
we're 6rs, made, scholars and the weather.
classes hal ample opportunities for study; for
even when Bibles were chained In churches, and
copies Of the Scriptures (thcn aptly so-stylcD
were worth herd Of cattle, there were large Il
brares accessible 10 the aristocracy Of rank AMI
mind. But they were guarded against the
masses by the double doors OF privilege AMI
ignorance. A book possessed no attractions for
the man who could not read the alphabet; and,
because they were rare and hard to get at. he
hsd no incitemeut TO master their mysteries.
Made cheap and common, the meancst peasant,
In the course Of a feu generations, found solsce