The sun., 1894-05-06
THE FATE OF ETCHING.
DECAY OF A FINE ART 1HROUGH
COMMERCIAL GREED.

1 Artistic OF AL Metnods OF HenroductInn
60 the Level OF the Dry Goods shop Bar
! gain Counterr-An Art that Il = Trnde.
II the reproductive etchers Of this country
| had but Needed the lesson taught by the fable
| OF the fine and accom- plished old goose that
| laid golden eggs. a charming art would not
| now be languisbing for want Of support Like
| the Door goose that could deliver her golden
fruit only under certain restrictions as to pro-
| duction. and lost her life because her owner
could not wait for the slow processes OF nature.
so. when dozen years or less ago etchings
| were In great demand among collectors OF
| proofs and prints, an excess OF zeal on the
part Of the publishers led them to the folly OF
killing their faithful goose In an effort to get
| all the money there was in circulation.
Among the first printers OF etchings OF Inn
portance In this country was Mr.. q. W. II.
| Ritchie and he began some twelve years ago.
| For three or four years the demand for proofs
and prints OF fine plates increased with
| growing appreciation OF the etchers art. Good
| proofs fetched fine prices. and the natural
| limitations In the life OF n copper plate kept
values up to profitable figure Thomas
| Moran. the painter. and the Kings we're among
| the first in this country to produce large and
| important plates and while the boom lasted
Mr.. Richie says he could not print etchlnRs
fast enough.
Then" saws Mr.. Ritchie, the publishers
began cutting throats and things went to the
dogs" A print that in those days cost 81. 90
to make on parchment and 81 each on India
or Japan paper. can now be turned out for
about % cents D BSmaller plates and the mar
row pictures called strip" etchings used to
cost 80 cents each 10 print. and to-day may be
turned out in unlimited edition for 8 cents
each. These prices are simply for the print
ing Forty prints constituted a good days
work when the work was we'll done. Nova
days q man will print $50 i'm mpressions In a
day, with about as much feeling for expression
and tone as q modern Hoe perfecting press
bestows upon newspapers turned out at the
rate OF nearly $4,000 an hour.
The result OF this state Of affairs Is that there
is practically no demand at all for reproduce
| tive .etchinGs to-day. and last fall but two
plates OF any consequence were published,
Perhaps it will aid an understanding OF how
these changes have como about IL SOM msthing
is told here OF what an etching Is and in what
its peculiar value consists. The persons who
confound pen and ink drawings with etchings
are probably nearly all dead by this time. and
It may be unnecessary to begin with the
elementary statement that an etching is
an impression printed from a metal
plate, copper usually. into which the
lines to be printed are bitten with
acid or cut. as In dry point" etching. with
the needle. The copper plate from which q
visiting card Is printed illustrates 1t exactly,
except that In that case the lines nre engraved
with burin instead OF being eaten out with
acid. The print is made " mixing the plato
and then wiping It of. leaving the incised
lines filled with ink. which Is then transferred
under pressure 10 paper. In principle the
process Is simple enough; In practice. how
ever. 1t has Its difficulties, which are success
fully overcome only by the exercise OF skill
and n cultivated artistic taste
The special merits OF this method OF making
pictures are hrst In Its freedom and delicacy
OF line. It's veiyety depth OF shadow. and In the
opportunity Afforded for an expression OF the
personality and feeling of the artist The
needles delicate tracery over the surface OF
~ 80. y, ,ha ar,,.,s sentInant nW,
st"p"to no'o VI ."o ai'' 'en|'en' nu'
the work Is only half done when the plato Is
etched. The printing OF 1t Is OF itself work OF
a., ond whIa +. noor ,iat. con rayar ,roJn,o
a sns i'm nresSion the most hsautirul stcbino
may be wholly ruined In the printing Each
angle print must be treated separately and as
:. ~ iins huo, o' 'fe"''u ~, 1He %
II 1t were the only proof. The plate must DO
| linked and then wiped off In parts and in vary
ing degrees according 10 the nature OF the
picture and the tones required. and this proc
sion NJ two nroors ara i,Saiv 20 bs nr.oi.sIv
e,". % NU WV p'"o.s 90 a., '.No'' W 20 ',
| sIilled printer makes each impression a dis
.isa.,'. t.,i,IaI - ''.,,aiI, -.
tihetV ihu''uua' pertormanoe' usuanS nauo
under the personal care OF the etcher himself.
IL ia perhaps proper to have these elem entary
| ,.r,io,,I.r. 90 % n,ohin,a raoaIIad o., ,o,nd In
paiu0uoio M W o'eh'"se ioo"''ou " iNiuu :"
order to understand how the work has been
cheapen ned and the artistic value OF good plates
s., Ei g. L :, ,.
oestroSeu' lotmern .he mum oet Vi peiiec'
prints possible was limited by the wearing
away of the soft cooper under repeated inn
, ssas - - -, .. a.
pfees'onS' hn "Nueu ,a'uo Wa sNea W ."o
prints by reason OF this Tact. and In London
sI,J ,,t. -. a.. -, - r. ,.,ai,
sioie I" guarantee .ha' no' iho'o 'h"h certain
mum Der of impressions OF any plate-say 25O-
shall be made. Plates are then destroyed to
novoDt tha oiro.,,o,Inr =, in,a,ior i,nnraasIo,s
$50 " " -. -,
such an organization In this country lew
years ago. II the cupidity OF some oi the psh;
fishers had not prevented It's formation. would
have saved the goose.
larry proofs OF certain lhe plates ommann