Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-04-20

son Christian Friedrich Won Muller. Ifone
were to select some single engraving as the
master piece of the art, mos. Judges would
| choose one of these four. The last one
named, the Madonna di San Sisto, cost its
author nearly eight years of labor so ab-
sorbing and in the end so exciting to his
feeble constitution, that when his work was
done he laid down his life with his burin.
The first proof from his finished plate, which
| he himself did not live to see, was hung
over him as he lay in death. in memory of
his master Raphael and the TRANSPORTATION.
The French school, beginning with
| Claude Mellan early in 18th century and
| closing with Willie and Bervic in the 18th.
was for versatility of resources and brlllian-
cy of execution, the most remarkable in the
| history of the art. Its scores of names of
the greatest celebrity show the influence OF
patronage in the development of art. The
greatest triumph of this school was its
portraits, and Its two greatest names were
Edelinek and Nanteuil. The master piece
OF Edelinck in portraits is in the judgment
OF many, his Philippe de Champagne and
that of Nanteuil bis Pompone dc Believre.
But among the 600 portraits engraved by
each. there is room for the greatest variety
of preference. Among them all there is no
sameness; the individuality of the man is
preserved and therefore there is no repeti-
tion. Nanteuil has the greater simplicity
and finer feeling; Eielinck superior vigor
and boldness. In the portraits of Mason
and the Drevets, the faces are not usually
interesting; but nothing can be more
wonderful in the way of imitation than
their hair, ermine, lawn, lace, velvet,
gold fringes, carved wood. bronze, marble
paper. An exception "a to faces may be
rnada N tho vOupUar Drevat's of
Bossuet, which has great majesty and
benignity of counteDance. and is also fine
example of this masters skill in drapery-
Of Gerard Audrsn it has been said that ''he
painted with the etching nedle and graver,'
so admirably did he reproduce the paint
lngs Of LIE Brun, especially the Battles OF
Alexander, works which have made both
painter and engraver famous. Willie, who
lived till the beginning of the present
century. closes this long line of brilliant
engravers, being in some points Of manual
dexterity, the most ingenious of them all.
He was pre-emlnently tae eDgrayer OF tex
ture, his silks. satlns. glass, shining m ataiS
carpets, wooden. draperies. household
articles and dead game, ara limitations
which often surpass those of tae Dutch
artists from whom he copied. The olly
great engraver that France has produced
during the present century is the Baron
Desnoyers, whose Virgins and other sub
jects, after Raphael, and Belisarius after
Gerard, gave him rank among the first en-
gravers of his own or OF any country.
Lord Oxford in his catalogue of English
engravors numbers I6O, and the listi made
now, would undoubtedly be doubled. OF
these while large number have merit
above mediocrity, only three stand forth as
prominent in the art Woolett, Strange,
and Sharpe. By the consent of the highest
judges in art of all nations, Woolett stands
at the head of oil landscape engrsvers. His
technic is peculiarly his own, derived from
no master but nature herself. 1t is equally
remarkable for vigor and grace. The rough
boles Of old trees and the crisp foliage of
saplings seem equally easy of execution to
his facile burin. Ii is said that he alone
has succeeded in representing the foliage of
the larch, tree which he frequently intro
duces into his landscapes Foreign critics
bestow their highest admiration on two
historical plates. the g Death of General
Wolfe" and the Baltic of La Hogue."
both after West but the English prefer
from Wilson and Smith.
Strange was the Father of Historical En-
craving in England. He is most celebrated
for his copies of Italian pictures, containing
nude figures. His carnations have soft
ness and suavity which almost rival the
flesh tints of the great colorists from whom
he copied. Sharpe, not equalling Strange in
delicacy of touch, surpassed him in clear
ness and force. His stroke is steady, bright
and full of expression. A good early i'm
preston from one of Sharpe's plates sparkleS
with animation and energy. Among his
most celebrated works is the engraving
from Guido of the doctors OF the Church
disputing on the Immaculate Conception,
the st. Cecilia OF DomenichIno, and the
Portraits of John Hunter and Matthew
BoultOn.
Line Engraving in the present day is
mainly occupied in making hook-plateS-
The best wo-k of English engraving for
fifty years has been put into such publica-
tions as the London Arr Journal, and
Rogers Poems. Much of it is in tho last
degree beautiful; but it is miniature work,
and the preference for such work always
indicates the decline of art.
The lecturer explained the stages of
prints. Artists proofs are impressions
taken for the artists guidance; and when
taken just before the plate il finished. are
highly valued. because carrying evidence
of earliness in the unfinished state of SOms
unimportant details. Next come "proofs
before letters" which are proofs taken
before the title is engraved. These follow
''Open letter proofs. taken before the let
ters are shaded. Then come the prints,
the erliest copies Of which cannot he dis
ringuished from proofs. Many prints have
some special mark, something omitted or
added by which the state is indicated.
After plates become worn, they are often
retouched: but the first clear cut OF be
restored.
Though the metal plate wears out, q good
impression OF print IS as nearly imperisha-
Bile asany object of art. Color, in oil or dis
temper. fades; q" But said Pres. Buck
ham, holding up n print OF Durer's "knight
and Death Look at this Durer. 1t
was struck not far from the year 1913.
The " Lsst supper OF Leonardo was but
Just finished. Raphael had not painted his
TRANSPORTATION, nor Michael Angelo his
" Last Judgment" The " Last supper
is almost gone, and the Last Judgment"
is fast going: but this Durer is Just as
clear and sharp as it was on the
day of its birth, 364 years ago
and there is no apparent reason why 1t
should not, with care. be as clear and
bright on Its thousandth birthday. As is
the life of a man to that of painting, so,
it may yet appear, is the life of painting
to that of print. It may be that to this
humble art, that has been content to be the
hsndmaid of the other arts. has been en-
trusted the high office of transmitting the
conceptions of the masters to the most dis
tant ages; of taking care that as their
original works perish by time. the substance
and spirit of them shalt be 81 preserved in
faithful and impershable reproductions, that
nothing truly great in art shall ever die.
The lecture was an exceedingly interest
ing one. full of information, of apt sugses-
ton, and discriminating Characterization
fed attention.