The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1883-03-03
The Bathers.


The engraving from the late William M.
Hunts famous painting of "The Bathers,"
upon which Mr.. Schuff has been engaged for
nearly three years, has just been completed
and is about to be published by Messrs. John
A. Lowell & Go. A copy can be seen at Mr..
W. s. Lowell's, on Congress street.
The Boston journal says: The original will
DO remembered as having formed one of the
chief attractions of the exhibition and sale Of
Mr.. Hunts works viii, h took place in the Feb
ruary following his death, and as having been
sold after lively competition for the SUM of
$4,000. 1t has been justly IT garded as one of
the finest of the painters's works. remarkable
for its skillful and confident flesh painting, its
expression OF vigorous life its fine contrasts of
color, its fine composition, and the natural
and graceful pose of the chief figure. 1t was
painted in Mr.. Hunts very characteristic
manner. with more of breadth than would
strictly please an engraver who might be asked
to make plate from II, and combined, in
way at once effective and sggravating, exquis-
lite finish in some parts with an entire absence
OF detail or distinctiveEess in others. In spite
OF Its defects, however, it was representative
work, purely American in its motives and exc
CuIou, anu one OF bn0 not very large ISL OF
really important pictures which this country
has produced. The masses of light and shade
which the picture presented were not less evil
dent to artists than to engravers, and Mr..
Lowell was prompt to perceive that skillful
production of it in line would furnish an i'm
portent addition to the limited catalogue of
purely American steel engravings. He ac-
cordlngly opened negotiations with the owner
of the sBathers," and with Mr.. Schoff who
had already approved himself by his exquisite
head of Emerson from Mr. Rouse's drawing to
be master OF the BURN, looking to the repro
duction of the work, aud Immediately gave a
commission for the engraver. Mr.. Schoff is
one of that band of workers upon wood and
steel in this country who had conclusively am
swered before its utterance the sneer of Mr..
Seymour Haden that line engraving afforded
no opportunities for original and artistic Effort
In the present Case, by making two plates
one after theconve ntional sty lie of steel engrav-
ing and the other after a method of his own,
which followed or opposed traditional usage ac-
ccording to the demands of the occasion-he
has shown conclusively that an artist can
show his power in steel as we'll as anything
else, and produce effects which are as broad
as painting and as textural as the latest exper-
iments In wood engraving. Que of the most
eff olive features of this engraving is the APP
parent employment in its composition of the
white line as we'll as the black-an appear
auce which is to be aScribed to the original
disposition that the engraver has made of the
deep aud shallow lines of shading. He has
treated the flesh of the two figures in most
delicate, and at the same time furcible way,
and has with singular skill reproduced the
breadth of the painters brushwork, SO that
the engraving, like the original, Can be best
appreciated when placed at considerable dis
lance from the eye. The avoidance of hard
outline anywhere is also a marked merit,
keeping the figures supple and yielding, and
If placed in full light and atmosphere. The
effect OF life and unstable equilibrium, which
was SO marked in the original painting, if full
ly preserved, and the suhordination of back
ground and surroundings to the main motive,
upon which Mr.. Hunt SO strongly insisted, is
never for moment lost sight of. Altogether
the picture is valuable addition to the num-
Der of American engravings, and alike credit
able to the painter and the engraver, we'll
as to Mr.. Lowell, who first detected the inn
portance OF the work and carried it out to its
SUGGEST ul issue.