Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1888-04-28
DRIFT.

Last Saturday promised 10 tell some OF
the things I have learned about engraving,
pbotogravure, aud etching, In my talks
with Lsncastei's Intelligent and oblIging
art-d dealer, Mr.. Charles II. Barr. or course,
l cannot tell you ali have gathered from
them,-- for art is long but time ID fleet.
ing,"-but enough, 1 think, TO guard and
guide you somewhat Ia the selection Of
pictures, and also TO make the mere look.
ing at them more interesting. At least !
myself never feel half satisfied In looking
at anything OF the history and making OF
which am ignorant No matter what 1t
IL, can appreciate Il only II know some.
thing at least about Il
Beginning with "the biggest" there are
photographers. that Is, reproductions OF
paintings, or sometimes eDgrsvings, by Q
process very much cheaper and almost a.
satisfactory as engraving. or really fine
pbotogravures, the French Arm OF Goupil
may almost be said 10 have the monopoly.
II you want TO see one OF the very finest
specimens have even seen, look ut the
large and beautiful picture entitled Poet
and Peasant" or AK 10 see The Refu-
gees" or Tho Gloaming." have never
seen an engraving that brought out the
color effect Of the original oil paintings o.
is done in these by the photogravure pro
cess, which 10 peculiar combination OF
photography and engraving. Owing espe-
cisily TO its cheapness, It is . style of pic
ture that ID becoming very popula-. Ger
tsinly should eve'y time prefer a good
photogravure to an indifferent engraving.
And you can get good one for about bali,
or even less than half, what an engraving
OF corresponding quality would ccs'.
Ofall the various kinds Of engraving the
pure line engraving on steel Is considered
the highest in artistic rank. 1t Is made
precisely like fine line drawing, only that
a perfectly ever, smooth, and polished
steel plate ia used instead OF paper, and
instead Of pencil or cray on, the "bufin" q
triangular rod of tempered steel ground to
q point, and the "dry point" a highly tenn
pered steel needle with n handle. This
latter Ia used Tor tba finer lines and most
delicate work. With these the picture Ia
engraved upon the plate by hand. Usually
the picture IL first drawn in the rough upon
the plate and the coarsor lines eaten out by
| the use OF an ncid. Then these broad
masses arc worked up carefully with the
hurin and dry point IL Is this that tests
| the srtisps skin, his correctness OF eye,
| delicscy Of hand and firmnoss of touch. 1t
| In seldom that one secs a eriectly pure line
| engraving nowadays. Most, even of the
finest and most expensive, are a combina.
ton of line engraving, stipple work aud
mezz 1tint. Irdeed with these latter a GER
/ tain fnspess and dslicacy OF effect is pro.
duced that no mere line work can possibly
/ give.
After the eBgraver has finished his plate
II goes TO the printer, upon whose In
teliigence and skill almost "a much de.
/ pends for the value OF the res ults as on the
| eDgraver's art He hrst heats tho plate on
q stone slab under which q lamp IL fixed.
| This is done TO make the ink h1w thinly
and evenly Into every ling and scratch.
This ink is thoroughly daubed over the
i plate and then Fcsreiully wiped on
| with q cloth, 40 that none remains. bu,
! that In the engraved lines. This is a work
requiring not a little skill. Then the atilI
| warm plate 10 put on the press. The paper,
| dampened, IL laid on II; and a roller, we'll
padded, Is passed over thunder tremendous
press ure, which forces the paper Into the
lines from which 1t takes tho ink with
which they are filled. All this while the
plate has to bs kop. warm or the ink will
the paper; the dampnoss OF tho paper Is Il
keep 1t from sticking To the plate.
The first copies that come from tho pres
are minuteiy examined by the engraver
indeed he often IL Pre- sent at and superin
tends tho printing. II there is tho leas
flaw revealed tho copy is torn up and tb,
imperfeciion in plate or press work cor
rected. When a copy Is produced per'oc
| In every respect the engraver remarks
II, or oftener only signs his name upde,
one corner OF II. II the " remark T" In used
ss IL done only In the most costly and I'm.
ta s.ttt, q
fifty perfect copies, sometimes upon more
| up to hundred. These are then known
| as Remark Proofs snd have q special, higi
value first, because they are the first ant
| most carefully made Impressions apt
secondly, because OF their limited number
which soon makes them scarce and sough
af.er as raIities. The remark, by tho way
IL some little emblemstic design In har-
| mony with the subject OF the picture, dell
cate, sketchy and suggestive. 1t 10 the
| authors seal, rs IL were, guaranteeing the
genuineness and authenticity OF each copy
OF his work upon which it is set. Good re
mark proofs, especially II copyrighted, In Q
short time double aud quadruple theil
market value. Thus Miliets "L'Ange.
lus," first Published at Sls7, now brings
| $3.50, and IL scarce at that "The Nespei
Hour" by King, has advanced In a shor
"Inlet" and Miilstream," originally
sailing for SlS, now cannot be had uddel
$50 and 30 with many more.
| After tho hity Remark Proofs ar,
printed, there are usually two hundred
more printed without the Remark, but in
stead having the artists and engraver'
signatures in the corners. These are callec
the Artists Proofs, and are Of the mex
| grade Of value. When there was no he
mark, the Artists Proof il the highes
grade, being then the first Impression
taken. After 1t there are generally on,
hundred more printed with nothing bu
the names OF the artist and engrave
/ printed IN the two corners, and that of tn,
| publisher In the middle These are call cd
Proofs before Letters. Next to them IL
value are sometimes printed q limited
| number OF " "Open-lstter Proofs, which
besides the printed names of artist, en-
graver, and publisher, have the title
printed In open letters, that is, the outline,
| OF tho letters only. After these comes ar
unlimited edition OF India Prints
| with the letters OF the tlte filled out
| Their value consists In their being printed
on India paper which gives n superior
| quality TO the Impression while the
| PIsin Prints are on plain linen paper,
though printed with equal care
The special value OF proofs therefore con.
sists mainly OF three things. First, be-
| cause OF the great care exercised in obtain
| ing the choicest impressions under the en-
! RTaver's personal supervision. SECONDLY,
because of their limited number and conse-
quent rarity. And thirdly, because Of the
costly quality OF the India paper that is
| used. Instead OF India paper there is
often, for fine pictures a beautiful grade of
Japanese paper used, which has a peculiar
silkiness of texture Rnd surface, and in as
thin and tran sparent as rice paper proof.