The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-06-22

two schools of art gradually developed
the school of the aristocrats and the school
of the commoners. The latter school was
the one to live, by reason of the perfec-
ton attained in the use of certain dyes
which are now absolutely unknown, even
in Japan. where they originated. The re-
suits obtained from these dyes were mar
velous, but the Japanese, with that self
depreciation which has characterized the
nation during the last half century, al
lowed themselves to be Influenced by Euro
pean methods in art as we'll as in most
other things. and, having once adopted the
less effective aniline dyes, continued using
them until the manner Of preparing the old
colors became a forgotten secret-a secret
which is troubling the minds of many of
the worlds greatest artists of to-day.
PREPARATION OF PRINTS.
During Japan's great art period the won
derful prints were prepared in the follow
ing way: The master first made his original
drawing in black and white on paper, The
picture was then carved on wooden blocks
by skillful workmen under his direction,
and then the "color men," or those work
men whose speciality was the preparing and
application of the various dyes, were set to
work at the tinting of the picture, all under
the watchful eye of the artist himself.
Gradually new colors were introduced as
the artists became more and more pro-
fcient in the work, until at last the most
astonishing though harmonizing combina-
lions were attained. Since these beautiful
prints began to attract the attention of the
larger world of art they have been the de-
light and at the sam time the despair of
artists the universe over, for while the pic
lures cannot help but afford exquisite
pleasure TO the eye. it is tantalizing to the
lover of wonderful color schemes to realize
that the secret of this japanese color pro-
cess has gone down into the graves with
the masters that created it.
The Japanese of to-day seem to have lost
their old primitive expression of them
selves, and it is for this reason that the
prints which are now made in Japan, al
though still possessing beautiful color ef-
fects, are lacking that peculiar charm of
the pictures that are relics of Japan's great
art period. In the old days the prints were
made for the love of making them and for
the pride that was taken in their produc-
ton, while to-day they are produced for
- AAhAOS oANO6CNAlNis
Nearly all of the valuable old prints depict
phases of contemporary life, portraits OF
reigning bellies, domestic incidents, religious
celebrations. picnic parties, drinking bouts
and teahouse revels. The highly colored
landscapes began with a young artist
named Hiroshige, in the latter part Of the
eighteenth century. His first experiment
was to print his Illustrations on separate
sheets instead of binding them in heavy
books, as had been the previous custom
and then, not content to leave them mere
black and white outlines. he began the use
of those colors now familiar in the master
pieces of Harunobu, Kiyonaga and other
great Japanese masters. Until this time
there had never been a school of Landscape
painting in which the color of natural OBJ.
jects had given the key to the entire com.
position, for, although rich color had beer
used in the ancient prints, il was little