St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1900-10-03

sought or more universally admired.
Here we are indeed fortunate, for the
masterpieces of this great engraver are
in your exhibition and will abundantly
repay a very careful study.
The subsequent history of line engrav-
ing upon the continent of Europe, may
be almost traced in the works and his
tory of the pupils OF Willie.
Clement Charles Bervic added bold
ness to the painstaking care of his mas
ter, and one of his greatest pictures,
large full-length portrait of Louis XVI,
that is now on exhibition here.
About this plate there is an interesting
story. This portrait was finished short
ly before the execution OF that unhappy
monarch. After he had suffered on the
guilotine, poor Rervic was seized by
the mob and charged with the crime
of having engraved the tyrant's portrait,
and to save his life he was obliged to
take the precious plate into which he
had put years of work, hammer it
double and throw it into the river Seine
Here it lay till order was restored, when
it was taken out and put into shape again,
but all the subsequent impressions taken
from it bear a faint streak across the
middle, a significant record of the terri
BILE French revolution.
Another of Wille's pupils was John
Gotthard Miller, whose abilities were
over Swallowed by those of his own son
and pupil, Frederick Muller. This won
derful engraver was born in Stuttgart in
1888 and died May 8, 1916. His short
life is identified with his great work of
engraving Raphaels Sistine Madonna,
which places him at the head of all
modern engravers. About six years be-
fore his death, he was commissioned by
Rittner, the print publisher Of Dresden,
to engrave Raphaes inspired picture,
the Madonna di San Ssto, then, as
now, the pride and jewel of the Dresden
gallery.
He entered upon his work in 1910, and
, for three long years, sustained and en-
. couraged by love for both the subject
and his art, he labored necessarily both
night and day and produced plate o.
marvellous beauty and delicacy. He
carried his plate to Rittner, the man o
: commerce, who upon examination, pro
r nounced the lines too delicate, they wouc
not print impressions enough to make
ILS NSuLulC NlllhCl ILSlSlCl
! that he should 60 over the lines before hi
S would take the plate. Poor Miller
broken hearted, taking his loved plate
e and returning to his room, began agar
his work of love, and for another three
a long years Of sadness and melancholy
+ worked unrestingly upon his preciou:
- plate. He went carefully over every line
D of his engraving, deepening, strengthen
t ing until, utterly broken hearted, hi:
!. mind wrecked, insane, be died by his owr
e hand. The hand that lovingly engraved
e for the worlds enjoyment this marvel
S lous plate, was the same hand that drovt
# the BURN into his own heart, and per
y haps it was one OF the very instruments
: with which he engraved this priceless
:. plate. The first impression from thi
a plate was hung above poor Miiller's bier
r too late! his eyes were sightless and hi
S broken heart was forever stilled. Thu
S lived and worked and died. in the thirty
t fourth year of his age, this prince o
e artist engravers, whose name and worl
S will live side by side forever with tina
r prince of painters, Raphael.
e A fine impression from this truly won
S deriul plate is one of the features of you
S exhibition.
S Of Raphael Morghen, the last of tn
great Italian school, we have a prin
l. from his most famous plate, "The Las
t Supper" after Da Vinci, and by thi
d great engraving will the memory of tn
= great original be preserved better thai
e by any painted copy. Raphael Morghel
V worked three years upon this plate.
o Of the Eng lish school, we have th
masterpieces of the masters, Rober
= Strong and William Sharp. An amusing
;, anecdote is related of Sharp and is a
o follows. When Sharp was in Rome h
n visited Raphael Morghen, then of grea
r age. The venerable Italian after exhib
n ting his choice reserved proofs of his ow
engravings, at last drew forth from hi
h portfolio an impression of Sharp's "DoC
e tors of tue Church." saying, "And nov
e Mr.. Sharp will show you print whic
), is equal to anything ever did in my life.
n Sharp, in relating this anecdote upon hi
return, added with some enthusiasm
t land indeed the old man was not ia
e from right" A fine impression from thi
If plate is also in the exhibition as also
/. an artist proof of his Diogenes in Scare
Il of an Honest Man. In English mezzc
tints we are rich for again the work {
5, the masters is represented. Much les
l. need be said of the numerous etching
d shown, but many of the masters of til
:, modern world are here represented
l. many plates of truly great technical ski
5, and artistic feeling. 1t will repay a car
s full study.
e glance at a portrait of lion wi
help you to understand how photo
d graphy may take the place of art, an
:; another study of photogravure. photo
s graphic engraving, will show you ho'
IS in reproducing an original picture, an a
e, most absolutely perfect copyis produced
IS and how it was that Daguerre's di
n covery sounded the death knel OF line Ell
IF craving.
l. What is today the situation of liz
IT engraving considered as fine art
lie Easy is the story told; born through tt
rs genius of Finguerra in 1910. died wit
the German Mandel in 1882. In IL
k long history of art the story of line e.
n craving may be told in relatively te
n pages, yet it was very great art, no
d lost, but its priceless works are left Il
tie the enjoyment OF the present and succee
W ing ages, for all time, though the skillt
hands, the loving and patient hear
ie that wrought these marvellous plat
er are stilled forever. The German, Mandt
a. the last of the pure line engravers, WI
lie died in 1882, truthfully said, "when d
L L..