Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-02-11
Great People Painted by
Great Artists.
A NOTABLE EXHIBITION
REPRODUCTION OF OLD MASTERS
IN CONGRESSIONAL LIBRARY.
A Chronological Arrangement to Show
the History of Mezzotint
Engraving.

A notable exhibition of mezzotint and en-
sravcd portraits of celebrated men, wo-
men and children OF the sixteenth, seven
teenth. eighteenth and nineteenth centu-
ries is now on view at the Library of Con-
gress 1t has been got together and ar
ranged by the print division, and consists
of All pictures selected from the Gardiner
G. Hubbard and r Harrison Garrett col
lections.
Portraits as a rule derive their interest
from two sources-the personality of the
subject and the skill of the painter. They
are viewed by the majority as mere re-
productions or hkenesses of individuals and
become more less attractive in exact
ratio to their beauty or celebrity. From
the artists standpoint, on the other hand
the individual is most frequently counted as
naueht. while the manner of production,
technique, color, quality of tone and bril-
liancy of drawing are exalted to paramount
Importance. Between the two there is but
one middle ground-great people painted by
grea painters The difficulty of obtain
ing Ut maintaining such a position is OBJ
viousi, and yet it is of such works of art
alone that the present exhibition is consti-
tutet. 1t is as grand marshaling of ia
NOUS perSonageS seen through the eyes of
the most noted artiStS-a noble assembly
of celebrities and a splendid collection of
great works of art 1t has been said that
no two persons see any one anything
alike, and, judging from the diversity of
modern portraturists' expression. it would
seem to be so, bur there are some portraits
which carry with them the conviction of
truth and convey TO the observer correct
and almost intimate knowledge of the per-
son pictured. Such were the portraits of
the so-caled old masters, of which most of
the prints in this present exhibition are re-
productions.
Mezzotint Engraving
Mezzotint engraving, the method by which
these choice paintings have been re
produced, is peculiarly well adapted to the
purpose to which, in this instance, it has
been set, inasmuch as it bears close resem-
blance to brush work and is susceptible of
very delicate manipulation 1t is said to
have been discovered about 1910, and
some of the best results through its me-
dunn were attained in less than hundred
years 1t differs widely from the more for
NAL and popular line engraving though it
has frequently been used in conjunction with
II and with etching. The process resem-
bles i'll a measure that of the present half
tone The plate is prepared by running
over It with a toothed instrument called "a
cradle, which raises burr on the entire
surface This is called laying the ground"
and 1t is on this ground that the picture is
produced by sldllful cutting and burnish-
ing The lights got by rubbing away
the burr. roughness the heaviest shad-
ows by increasing the indenture. The diff
Guilty or the method can readily be under
stood, and must IN itself explain the lack
CT mezZotint engravers in this day of rapid
and comparatively simple photo-reproduc-
ton.
We are now SO far from the era when
mezzount engraving was at its height and
so rev good examples of the best engrayers
are obtainable that there are doubtless
many VINO do not realize oh
mourn its decadence. BY no other means
can the work of a painter be so faithfully
ana sympathet1cally reproduced. and yet in
no other graphic art is the copyists own
personality more in evidence.
Chronological Arrangement.
The prints at the library have been ar
ranged chronologically, in order that they
may set forth to a degree the history of
mcZzotint engraving.
In the first case to the left of tho on
trance are three portraits of Titan engrav-
ing by Richard Pursell, and nearby is a
likeness of Queen Elizabeth painted by
Nicholas Hillard and engraved by John
Simons. Here, too, is a sorry reproduction
made by Robert Gaywood one of the
earliest mezzotint engravers of the nor
trait OF Mary Queen of Scots, famous for
her beauty. grace and cultivation" which
was painted by George Perfect Harding and
hangs in Bodlean Library, oxford.
There is a portrait of Sir Peter Lelv paint-
ed by himself and beautifully engraved by
Isaac Beckett, who lived between the wears
i6o3 and lilo and shared with his brother
William the honor of being the first En-
SilshInan who practiced and founded a
school of engraving This same Isaac is
made known to the visitor by a portrait
painted by Sir Godfrey Kneller and en-
graved by his most famous pupil, John
Smith.
Smith was one of the best mezzotinters
the world has known and is specially
celebrated for his reproductions of kneller's
paintings His own portrait, painted by
kneller and engraved by himself, which is
10 be seen in this collection. shows him with
a mezzotint of kneller In his hand and
therefore constitutes a double portrait of
painter and engraver. Unfortunately Mr..
Smiths plates Were purchased in 1915 by
BoydelI, and many being worn, Door i'm
pressions have got on the market Those
of an earlier date show him to have been
a skiilful technician, good craftsman and
possessed OF much artistic feeling.
Celebrated Artists.
Artists in those days as in these. seem
not TO have been averse TO painting them
selves and the members of their families.
Among the earliest of these exhibits are
two admirable and impressive portraits of
Rembrandts mother, one engraved by
Charles Phillips and the other by James
McArdie, and nearby to be found three
dlirerent picturings by the same painter of
80 AiANAS4A-AOHtt "llt, the FAMOUS SaSkll.
There are number of paintings by Ru-
bens of his wife and children, none of
which Is more charming than that of his
TWO handsome, manly sons, which through
reproduction has become familiar but
which Is given fresh meaning in this col
lection through Johann Peter Pichler's ax
cellent engraving. Among the artist celeb
titles whose portraits are here presented is
Sir Christopher Wren. the English architect
who made the inst design for ST PauIs
Cathedral, prepared plans in 1866 for the
rebuilding of London, and Furthermore
drew up the preamble of the Royal Acade-
mys charter. Near him, though actually
preceding him by a century. is lingo Jones
painted by Van Dyke and engraved by j
Jonathan Salisbury, to whose architectural
skill the gate of ST. Marys, oxford, stands
as permanent memorial. Jan Van Goyeu.
a celebrated landscape painter, his wife and
child. have been painted by Franz Halls and
engraved by lingo Wright. William Doh
son. who succeeded Van Dyke as sergeant
paint to Charles /, is pictured by Knellor
and George White, in lusty health and an
parent cheerful spirits IN spite of his prodj
gal habits and the yawning debtors pris
on; and John Pine. the much talked of
print-seller of ST. Martins lane has been
Familiarity pictured by Hogarth and Nc
Ardle.
Like the everyday world this exhibition
is made up of men and women of many
callings. There are to be identified in the
array rulers of nations. nOblemen fai