New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-04
ETCIIINGS.
SOME NEW COLLECTIONS.

ETCHING An outline of Its technical processes and It's
history. with some remarks on eoec"ns ana b G
lecting. BY s. r. KOEHLER Illustrated py an,
plates by old and modem etehers and nnmeIP 3
reproductions in the text Cssseli a EolnPaa'' '''"-
tied, New-YOik, London, Paris ana Me4oouin0'
AMERICAN ETCHINGs. A Collection OF Twenty org rig
ina Etchings by Moran. Paris Ferris smile and
others with descriptive te anr 1y D i Is
,r,vyr ,yrp1c.N ErCHINGs. Original plates by
j. s King W. II. Shelton, Henry rarrar' h am.rtun
Hamilton, Nieo Charles voIK vn F AaueJ'np
Callahan Text by j. r. W. HITCHCOCK New-forK;
White Stokes & Allen. 1850
The interest in etching in America, which for
some wears has manifested much of the pecuilarl-
tics of craze" seems to be still strong ENhl-
billions publications aud purchases all snow uha'
the popular demand for etchings and Tor lhlofih" p
tion concerning them still exists Probably no one
in America is better equipped for writing tor suon
an audience than Mr.. Koehler. He does not c'a'h
to have made more than an outline of the subject
dhe latter is too vast to be fully considered III one
hook. but he has made very excellent sketch OIL
the whole HISTORY of etching, from its slender DC
pinnines in the fifteenth century, through i'S SoiS
In the DAYS of Rembrandt, ITS decadence auu "'
mosn death to its 1esuscitatlon III our own ViH0N'
This history Is not merely a catalOguiug "a n"N'0
and points but an apprccalve, ana as Iar as sP"'0
permits critical consideration OF the pecuil"Ii'0
of atcbers of their sources OF impressions and IN
in the same field. Concluding this history Is
CHAPTER upon etching in America which Is caiieu
for rather by the fact that the book is of American
ori,,n and esDeciaIly addressed to an American
audience than by any remarkable position that the
art has attained in this country. In the chaP'oi
on collecting some good advice Is gwen ana we "io
Glad to see that Mr.. Koehler has wOrd 10 say
against the custom of adding "remarque 10 au
etched plate for commercial reasons only. Inc
openinQ chapter is devoted to the CONSIDERATION Oh
the process of etching its advantages ana uls'"
yautages and the last three to technlcalueS TO
parding the preparation of the plate and methods
of drawing, biting and printing. The work Is
profusey illustrated with some thirty etched plates
and nearly a hundred cuts in the text. MANY OF
the latter are full-page reproductions OF etchlngs
The reproductlOns are by the Moss process eXcep'a
few bv the heliotype process. The elegance OF the
printing, the exceptionally fine aud heavy paper
make the book beautiful as well as useful ana II
is well suited for fine Christmas gift
The twenty etchings published bv MeSsrs. Estes
& Lauriat are from plates originally contributed
TO The american Art Repier, and are already tamil
lar TO possessors of that excellent but short-Ved
periodIcal. The text also is essentially the same
as that which originally accompanied the etchlnSS'
They are reissued in handsome style, each pflhU
mounted the whole, with the text, making an IN
bouud volume which is enclosed in au ornamental
portfolio The plates are well worth having ahu
in the main are we'll printed few. for Instance
Mr.. Gifford's "COalpockets' and Mr.. Coiman
Durham" have been wiped so hard that they
are but ghosts of their former selves.
Messrs, White. Stokes s. Allen give as their sec
ond volume of American EtchingS, and nave Sc
oured plates which average better than those III
their former one. Of the ten etchlngs two are
from foreign drawings, the remainder from designs
of the etchers themselves. OF ALL our preference
would be for Mr.. Monks's Goats" very good
niece of shantv-town scenery with flock of
goats climbing the hill and for Mr. Van
Elten's Beach at Gloucester After these
we should place MI Nicolls moonlight at
Low Tide" and Mr. Shelton's Christmas
Eve" Mr. Hitchcock contributes PREDATORY essay
on Etching in America and the text accompany
1ng each plate The essay is careful, intelligent and
essentially correct. Mr. Hitchcock IS one OF the
happiest accompanies that we know, having the
faculty of putting himself into accord with the
etcher and finding all the best points Of his work