The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1901-07-03
THE OLD ENGRAVERS.
THEIR ART IN The WORKING OF
STEEL PLATES A LOST ONE.

|
tured 10 iptite his friends into 'parlor"
not adorned with specimens OF the allcg'
cd art Of more or less Incompetent steel
engravcrs. "Thc Pilgrims Progress. -
The Guardian Angel" diminutive and
irritating children offering loaveS OF
bread TO prcpoStorouSly grateful and rag
red 'poor'-such works Of art as these
adorned the walls OF % out of every 100
houses. Ii was depressing from an artis-
tic point Of view, but this feeble imita-
tion testified 10 the supremacy OF the mo-
bic art Of steel engraving, Of which the
masters were an inspired few. The en-
grnVed atrocities have vanished from the
walls, and along with them the truly
beautiful specimens Of the art have
grown 20 be- less and less highly priced,
except by the connoiSScur. Steel cngrav-
| ing has come 10 be one of the lost arts.
In few years all its followers will have
passed away, and the good cngravings
now eNtant will even more distinctly be-
come merely interesting subjects for the
collector rather than for the admiration
OF the many.
Steel engravcrs have not yet found
their occupation gone entirely. The old
men who once engraved pictures OF ambi-
tiouS size and scope now toil-Such OF
them as are leftover the details "
bank notes. II is the one living branch OF
steel engraving, one worthy enough in its
way, for the work is beautiful, but one
which will never win the admiration once
showcrcd on huge copies Of great pic
lures. To the general public the figure
rather than the design Of bank note is
of Importance, and few stop 10 note the
delicacy OF the lines, the grace OF the
composition, all engraved, very likely.
with loving care by some old man whose
pride in his art remains. although the
glory OF II has gone forever.
This branch Of engraving has reached
a higher development in America than
anywhere else. The dclicacy of the work
is sometimes extreme and gives an idea
of the standing OF the artist in the DAYS
when his skill was put To higher uses.
The old mcn are growing fewer every
year. For The special profession Of bank
note engraving Young meu are being
trained 10 take their places hut for the
broader work, as il used 10 bc carried on.
there will Gc no successors. The old en-
graverS are the last OF their ancient
guild, and with them the art of steel cn-
craving rs 1t relates to large pictures
win die.
But, narrow aS is their field, il is inter
esting 10 find that these old artists rccug-
nize one anuthcr's work by the minute
details of the bank note or stock ccrtih-
cate. Much OF it is done 10y gcometric
lathe in the hands OF apprentices, but the
touch of the true artist is pcrccptible to
his brother just as it is possible 10 de-
tect in Il moment the style Of a painter
There is always infinite paihoS about
the idea uf the worlds losing anything
beautiful 1t once possessed. II does not
matter whether or not there has tonne
something To take its place-thc sadness
is there. As a matter of fact steel en-
craving has passed away because somc-
thing as satisfactory and far cheaper
has been discovered, Photography is
u good enough substitute for the inferior
work which wuS so familiar qua ter II
century age. The rage Tor etching
also helped to overthrow steel rugrav-
Ing from It's position OF security. but the
downfall was brought about chiefly 10y
the invention OF photography. The plates
engraved 10y really good workers cust a
large sum of money and an amount OF
time diSproportionate even 10 the high
price. Muller spent six years in pc. feet
ing his 'Sistine Madonna" aud the price
paid for it rewarded his time at a less
rate than that cf an ordinary dry goods
clerk OF today
Such works were, indeed, a labor of
love, and to them there attached scnti-
mental interest that can never cling
around the photograph which has driven
the engraving from the field. An ordina-
ry photographcr-th is man with no
special artistic inspiratiuu-ca produce
the beautiful work which hangs in the
place of those once hOnOred copies OF
great pictures. OF course, steel cngrav-
ings are still bought and sold and still
hang in the houses Of artistic people, but
those who buy are In the main collectors.
The general public no longer looks at the
old time favoritcs. TO take up some vol
ume Of Il good art journal of - years ago
and compare it with recent issues is to
meet forcihlc reminder of the way in
which taste has changed \ quarter of Il
century ago the pages Of such volumes
were filled with steel engravngs and
nothing else, while now dashing color eff
fects, daring 'studics" in charcoal. fill
page after page.
The position in the art world Of the
great engravers is quite bcyoEd dispute.
There is no question Of whether or not
there is general interest in their manner
Of work.
The value of ;heir cnLravings is fixed,
and their service to the world is beyond
question. Were il not for Morghcn we
might have had no idea OF the beauty Of
Leonardo da Ninci's Last Supper" The
true spirit Of art has been nobly prcscrv-
ed by such engravers and their followers.
and there is about their work charm
which fashion cannot affect.
But these works are too high priced for
the public to know much of them. and ev-
cry year will increase their value. For
an engraving, if il is to he perfect. must
be printed at the time the plate is made.
| Copies made after many years are, from
the point Of view Of the connoisseur.
worthless. Again, many plates have been
retouched 10y some clumsy hand and thus
ruined, or worse than ruined, since they
still exist To give Il false impression Of
the work Of true artist. The cngrav-
ings for which art lovers seek must be
those made at the time of the making Of
The plate Since there are no more en-
iravers and the work Of the masters Is
u the course Of nature becoming moro
prishable with every year, one may oh
cain an idea of the value to the artist cf
these few great works.-Ncw York Trh.
due.
Aspiration ana Realization.
ga 49,. 4.