The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1891-05-07
CAMEO CUTTING.
A Visit to tho Roman Studios
Where tho Work Is Done.
Specimens of wonderful skill In Carving
Onyx and Shells-Lifclilke Portraits
of Historical Pcrsonages and
Noted People.

After falling into rsptures over few
ruins, the visitor to Rome usually turns
his attention to canoes and loses him
self heart and soul in admiration Of all
the gods and goddesses that were ever
heard of, from Jupiter to the veriest
little love- He has seen canoes here or
there all his life and paid little atten-
tion to them; but here in their birth
place, their home, he develops passion
for them that would affect heart Of
stone, which these gods and goddesses
always possess. And truly canoes are
to be admired; down them who will,
fashion or no fashion, Us an exquisite
work of art there is nothing more beau
tiful.
One of the most interesting cameo
studios, says the jewelers. Review, is
that of Francesca Clapponi, on the Via
Sistina. Signor Clapponi has had
twenty years of practice in cameo cut
ting, and your correspondent is indebted
to him for much valuable information
on this interesting study. He has been
called the modern Michael Angelo by
same of his American admirers, and not
undeservedly, for more exquisite work
than his would be hard to find. His
speciality is portraits, and these develop
from the stone quite as truthful as from
the crayon work, in which he is also an
expert. One of his best works is por-
trait of Queen Marguerite, of Italy.
The likeness is exact, and tho famous
pearls. string after string, about her
neck stand out in individual perfection.
Portraits Of the queen of England, the
composer Liszt and other people, not
fo-petting Cook, Of circular voyage
fame, are others of equal merit. The
most exquisitely finished portrait is of
Mary Stuart, after an antique painting.
The relief is in flesh color, against a dark
red background. Every point in the
high lace ruches at the throat stands
out delicately, while the entire lace is
almost transparent-is, in fact, when
held to the light.
Canoes are sometimes of shell and
sometimes of stone. Those of shell are
most common and are more easily
made than those of stone, because the
shell is softer and yields more readily
to the drill The shells are of the
conch order and are brought from the
sea at different ports of Italy. The
stone comes mostly from India, some
from Germany. 1t belongs 10 the
family of quartz, (banded), and comes
in various combinations of color, the
rarest being flesh color and red; the
most common one black and white.
The stone comes cut in different sizes
ready for the artist to begin work on.
They cost from two to thirty or more
francs each, according to size and
quality.
After a plaster cast has been made
from a drawing or portrait the artist
sketches from the cast on the stone he
is about to cut and proceeds to chip
away all surplus portions of the upper
layer of color. He does this by means
of drill fastened in machine worked
by the foot. The drills used are very
fine and while at work the artist looks
through magnifying glass. These
drills require constant cutting down
ard the application of diamond dust, as
the stone is SO hard. The stone, too,
requires constant rubbing off, for the
drill blackens and so misleads the
artist unless continual care is given. 1t
takes from three to thirty days to cut
stone cameo. The artist must under
stand drawing and measurements well,
rs after the first outline cutting he is al
most wholly dependent upon the ex-
actitude of his eye. The finishing work
is very delicate. A miscut, and nose
is spoiled, an ear taken off, or Che
fascinating curl of a mustache forever
lost. 1t is sweet and poetical to wear
loved ones face cut in cameo, but woe
to the artist who by slight deviation
makes Genevieve's mouth too large or
converts the classical nose Of Clarence
into a ''snub."
Intaglios are very much in favor at
the present time. They are just the re-
verse Of the canoes, the subject being
cut below the level of the stone. Many
of these are made for the purpose Of
seals, and give perfect impression. It
has been said that Moses wore an intag-
io ring, and we have no more reason to
doubt than to believe 1t. No one sus-
poets Moses Of not doing the proper
thing, and if he had the good taste to
wear an intaglio, he is all the more
worthy of admiration. However, in
taglios are known to have been d very
ancient origin.
Intaglios are cut In stones Of one col
or, and are best when the stones are
translucent. They appear In mtst del
fcate shades, and the sunken engraving
is sometimes wonderful in its minute
ness. Many famous paintings = well
MS statues are copied in this Iha4Aer,
and the production is often As marvel
ous as the original. The Aurora" Of
Guido Rini is almost as beautiful cut
into dark stone as whom in light 1olief
in colors. Where so many figures are
grouped II Is really q wonderful thing
70 produce them in such minute proper
tions as seen In these intaglios. What
ever other arts the Italians may be pro-
fcient in, that Of stone cutting is fol-
lowed to perfection, and such beautiful
works cannot be governed by the whims
Of style. However, Dame Fashion
smiles with the infatuated visitor on
canoes and promises to favor them for
49, a.