New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1897-01-12
THE NEWS OF BROOKLYN.
LITHOGRAPHY IN PERFECTION
AN INTERESTING EXHIBITION BEING
GIVEN BY THE PRATT INSTITUTE.
REPRODUCTIONS OF THE WALTERS COLLECTION

REPRODUCTIONS OF THE WALTERS COLLECTION
OF CBRAMICs-A LECTURE BY MR.. PRANG.
The Department of Fine Arts CT Pratt Institute
yesterday opened exhibition last two weeks. OF
ZIG photographic prints made by L. Prang & Co.. TO
Illustrate Oriental ceramic art, and Mr.. Prang
delivered lecture THE Art OF Color Printing
| from Stone" The Autographs reproductions
+, OF the great collection made by the late William
Thompson Walters. OF Baltimore. and are to be
issued in book form by the Appletons Mr.. Walters.
who died on November 90 1894. began his collection
! forty years ago. and he the first American TO
create a collection of Oriental ceramics.
| The reproductions perfect that they look
like paintings. When Mr.. Walters determined TO
give the results Of his work to the world he ex
amined the work Of every European house OF i'm
portance before Mr. Prang asked TO make
Autographs Of three pieces Of porcelain OF different
coors. His immediate success ended the search
and when some Of his plates were shown to Partisan
piers they refused believe that the work
was produced by simple TYPOGRAPHY, but declared
that the impressions from the stone must have
been fortified by color applied with the brush
The comment most frequently made by those who
examined the work in the Pratt Institute Library
yesterday was that they had no idea that 1t was
possible 10 obtain by printing such depth and rich
of tone
Mr.. Prang introduced by W. S. Perry. direc-
tor of the Department OF Fine Arts and addressed
an audience that crowded the room As he humor-
ously said he was giving away all his secrets for
he described the whole process of photography. In
part he said:
Lithoeraphy. as we understand it to-day. is the
art OF printing from perfectly fiat stone. which
the pattern Is neither raised In relief cut in
intaslio; The photographic stone which is amor
phous limestone dense in texture without being
hard. porous without being OPEN quarried TO per-
great affinity for fat The least touch OF grease
will be retained WITH exceeding tenacity. a similar
afinity Is shown Tor gum arabic in solution. The
crayon: consisting OF soap, wax and lampblack. or
| in a fluid state
The drawing when finished. undergoes an opera
sists in flowing over the face of the the gum
ed the ka of the s0ap E'n the
ana INK sets the tat free and IN doing so creates
forming lime soap insouble in water The gum q
the solution fills the pores Of the blank part of the
asnst u urther nuepee Of oil or fat on the
cess Il this preparation the possibility of litho-
The acidula,ed gum solution which ho has as, been
water and the superficial layer Of Black whicai
still covers the drawing is removed by spirits o.
rhg 1E is Conveyed to he dTaTnr
on the stone by rollers covered With cafskin After
to roll gently the su-acs The ink will 4, be
ID viii he spU
until the judgment of the printer tells MN IL Is
overeharging or by undercharging a stone Is
cecdngly sensitive to this treatment; ,..,,,..
|
of the art of lithography. and we may proceed TO
consideration of chrome lithiography: Co ae
ns been taken 800 years ago Block printing in
followed R5n In color n color a
drawn toward this art first forty years ago by by
vow then and there that prints of that quality
should be done here in American b WAS at ths ' hns
l. Ken possession of me. My ambition was more
'' To make close reproduction in print painting
of the object is absolutely Ie9uired IN n rTpys
this Collection we Were 96gee 90 the
painting begins with analyzing It's color for a color
1T be next S Ss ssp Is to cover the painting with
sheet of perfectly TRANSPARENT geane upon Wmgh
ent colors is to be drawn with lithographic INK;
This dIawns on and nkea sp gives the KEY
plate The artist has to draw separate PLATE ie
between these separate plates TO make h 6a Wno 20
hard highly caendered paper due,e1 o cnp 70
he INK and thus they are transferred TO az many
the particular case requ JULY IN nres mt
The a rrd eh mGw Outline nni sew Every plate
finished undeIgSes the usual B bac anS
and ink are first cleaned off with urpentne IN
n1nte ne is % demanded The Slightest
hue strength Of tone will AFFECT .hc from I the
start Very rarely have such been 81 m So
Of this sscb T SeSe pned
rately are adjusted to each other In printing fns
| cross marks drawn with pei ana lin VI, NY ,oP
and bottom Of the key plate Will transfer tn mi
selves with the key upon every stone 10 De n'i-
ographed A pin stuck through the centre OF ga N
of these cross marks from the back OF the shee,,
and pointed into the centre or the corresponding
marks on the stone brings the sheet IN ProPen
nosition for exact register To prove from twent!
10 forty and more stones In as many dIIe'.tlt
colors and get final results. foreseen oy me
artist from the beginning. seems an almost III.
credible achievement. but the evidence shows t maj
It can be done. A purely mechanical genius VIII
only nroduce Indifferent, mechanical work II re,
ouires besides artistic feeling artistic insight anu
culture to make an artistic representation;
- we turn 10 the work before us. We VIII recog-
nize as its peculiar CHARACTERISTIC the close repro,
duction OF the appearance or a nara smootn ana
even highly glazed material. shaped into a variety
OrientaIs partly for mere ornament; partly Tor
domestic and ceremonial services but besides these
vases the re are holders. tea jars and small
decorative objects Color Is one OF the greatest
charms in the work of the Orientals and the re-
nrodcton of these coors In their intensity, purity
and subtle fow Il above everything the sine qua
NON of the enthusiastic collector The problem
before the artist photographer Is not TO force one
art into the terms OF another but to reproduce the
preliminary painting OF the object In Its most
minute details
Mr. Prang concluded with tribute TO Mr.. wal
ters and an appreciative estimate OF his work
After the lecture the audience remained to study
the collection and 10 ask questions OF Mr. Prang.
THE CIVIL SERVICE APPEAL.