Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-11-22
HIGH ART REPRODUCTIONS.
New Process for Copying Famous
Paintings of Euronc

Patatings of Europe.
| Consul General Mason Of Berlin under
date of September l. sends to the state De-
| partment a report giving "A description of
| an association organized in Berlin some
years ago for the purpose Of applying a
new process Of colored photogravure 20 the
| reproduction Of the masterpieces in the
| royal galleries Of Europe. The educational
| character Of the work. Mr.. Mason thinks
makes it worthy CT notice The report
reads:
| 1T will doubtless interest the friends ~
| aesthetic culture in America 10 know thar a
society in Berlin, known as the "Nere:ui-
gurg der kunstfreunde FAR die amtlichen
| Publcationen der Konglichrn National
Galeue" Il MON OF Friends of Art FOR the
Official Publication If the ROYAL National
Galeriesl, which IS organized under char
| ter issued by the Prussian ministry ~ wor-
| ship and education. is about 10 send a dele
| gate to our country for the purpose Of es-
| tablishing branch Office in the United
| States. As its name implies, the society Is
| the vehicle for distributing among The edu-
cational and religious Institutions 81 GER
many and the people in general fac-simile
| copies in colors Of TIE great masterpieces
and famous paintings in the royal galleries
| in Europe. thus planting the seeds ~ art
| education I'm the minds NJ the rising general
| ton and fostering among the Intelligent
classes cultivated taste Tor wholesome
art
LAS particular stress has been laid by the
most eminent authorities in American art
| education upon the fact that. much AS our
| own art culture has improved within the
| last twenty years. the Improvement in re-
| fined aest hetic taste has not kept pace with
It. unless in exceptional individuals. and
| that il has been Of necessity limited more
or less to the Weather classes, the oStah-
lshmont IF a branch Of the Art Patrons
Society Of the Royal National Galleries In
the United States seems 10 deserve the
earnest attention Of our art educators At
home.
The popularity which the society enjoys
here and the success which has crowned
| its efforts must be accredited 10 the artistic
standard of its productions. which rise far
above the meaningless black and white
| prints. cheap chromos, photographers g.,
that food the German art market. This
superiority is due IN the main To ne pc
| culidr process owned and employed by the
society I'm its reproductions. process which
| in due course it intends To transplant 10
| the United States. II differs in its method
| from any heretofore employed. iraSmuch a.
| ii enables the reproducing artists not ouly
! to create true fac-sin1iles Of The original In
every outline, by means Of photography
| and steel etching, hut also To produce the
! depth Of coloring and tho pecuiiariti"s ~
manner Of each master by special en-
ployment OF the colors called hc'iotint thus
reproducing the characteristic handiwnrk ~
| the artists.
The process although an intricate and
costly one, has not been patented; hut
| strict secrecy Is kept TO TIE mauipula-
| tons of the plates iE some of the stages
| through which they have to pass. After
| the original paintings have been photo
graphed, for which purpose special cameras
have been hullt and neEatiN" plates of par
| ticular sensitiveDess are prepared, the pho
tOgraphic productions are transferred -
steel plates. the surfaces Of whiJh h, 10y some
peculiar treatment, have been prepared TO
| receive the impressions from the negatives
The outline work is thus obtained from
| the steel with an eNdCtitude and CltarnpSS
never before known, In the meantime the
| rn1t.rS a 10 ORIGINAL
| the distribution Of light and shade as ma
| nipulation Of the brushes Of eminent artists
| can make them, have been reproduced on
| the Photographic copy first obtained, and
| the complex color taDleau' thus created is
transferred to as many photographic stones
as there are colorS represented I'm the pic
| ture, from which impressions are taken on
presses worked by hand, as II has been
found that presses worked by machinery
cannot do the work with the minuteness
and cleanliness necessary to effect perfect
reproductions
The methods employed by the society for
the distribution Of its productions among
| the educational and religious institutions Of
| the country and the people at large are
somewhat unique.
1t obtained at the start list of patrons,
who, in consideration of certain annual con-
| tributions, caused the society TO distribute
a number of the works among the eduCa-
| tiOnal institutions OF the country. This list
| of patrons gradually grew, headed by the
| Emperor and Empress Of Germany, who
other royal and princely families in 2u-
| rope, until it has reached an aggregate
membership Of more than $1,000.
These patrons gradually introduced the
society's Productions into the homes of sub
altern officers. teachers. Civic employees and
people in the humber walks Of life. Who,
however, before becoming entitled 20 the
privilege of receiving such art rcproduc-
lions, had to sign the sOciety's roll of MEM
bersLip and thus become GctiVe agents in
the missionary work Of spreading culture in
art
| Keeping its educational tendencies con-
| tinually in mind, the society has always
exercised the greatest care in the choice of
subjects for reproduCt ton. IL has made So
| lectiCns from the great classical and mod
ern religious painters Rafael, MurillO,
Guijo ReEi. PaolO Ncronese beng among
| the former, and Hoffman,, Plockhorst, Ger
har1t and others among the latter Ii has
also endeavored TO foster the love of home
and country by giving reproductions from
| famous ma sters which represent scenes
| from history, and ii Will adhere to a like
| policy IN the conduct Of its American
| branch. Each year number Of subjects
| from the history of the United States, these
subjects TO be chosen by an American ad-
| visory board, will be selected for reproduce
! ton, the originals TO be painted by Ameri-
| can artists. Leutze's famous canvas,
Washington crossing the Delaware is al
ready on the stocks in the societys ateIiers
| to open the American seriesD These Amer
| lean historical paintings will be placed on
| exhibition both in the United States and in
| Europe, and gold medals viii be awarded
| by the society to those American artists
| whose works are chosen for reproduction.
American landscapes and marine views will
also be included in this line and il is pro-
posed in time to erect a suitable building in
one of the principal cities of the Union.
which is to serve the purposes of an artistic
workshop for the American branch Of the
society"
--<-e ~-
A PREMATURE COMPLIMENT.
One Woman Wishes She Hadn't Told