Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-02-17
ely decorative. Every part is nicely
Ught out and yet the whole is a unit.
Early Use of Engraving.


Early Use Of Engraving.
One of the earliest uses to which engrav-
ing as a graphic art was put was the pro-
duction of playing cards. Some say that
the art of wood engraving was introduced
into Europe by sets of cards brought from
China by Venetian merchants. but whether
that be so or not, it is fairly well estab-
lished that plates and blocks for this pur-
pose Were executed during the latter half
of the fifteenth century III this collection
there is set of fifty of these III Gioco di
Tarochi' as they were called, which were
engraved about 1910 and are extremely
quaint and curious The use to which they
were. put is not definitely known. Galichon
thinks that they were designed for the
entertainment of the more wealthy classes,
rather than for the purpose of ordinary
play, and tries to read into them some
learned significance.
They seem. however, quite simple and
frank. Each portrays a single figure in clear
line and direct manner. There is king, a
merchant, huntsman and priest; Apollo,
TerpsichOre and Melpomene are impersonat-
ed; the virtues, Charity and Temperance,
are represented, well as such depart
ments of scholarship as Grammar, Rhet-
ORIG and Geometry. One entire set of ten 10
devoted to the solar system, personifying
the planets and presenting a last card a
demons ration of the Prime Cause. Bartsch,
the great authority, asserted that they were
engraved by Maso F'inguerra, but later In
vestigation has almost proved that they
were the work of FlOrentine artist, in
fluenced by Baldini or Botticelli. Certainly,
they suggest the style Of tie latter rather
than of the former. A fun set OF these, I'M
cut, IS very rare.
Baldini himself is represented by an en-
craving of 1.-THE Prophet jeremiah" and
Bctticelli by the reproduction of drawing
made as an illustration for the second cam
to of Dantes Divine Comedy" printed in
Florence in 1881. There are no less than five
eEgraVingS by Andrea Mantegna, n famous
io1 ntan ,iatI rrl
of Christ Descending into He'll a spe-
cfally fine impression, and another, Ma
rine Monsters" derived from no less ceie-
brated collection than that of Sir Joshua
Reynolds.
With the primitive work of this era, it is
interesting to stumble across Jacopo Bar
baris little ''St. Catherine which sugges SIS
the sketches of Burnc-Jones. and to dis
cover In the productions of Domenico Cam
pagnola an almost modern sentiment.
The Most Valuable Print
The most valuable print In the whole col
lection is a first state of "The Massacre of
the Innocents," engraved by Marc antonio
Raimondi, who worked in Raphael's studio
and reproduced many of his paintings. By
experts this print has been declared the
rarest in existence and valued at not less
than 5000 Side by side with 1t is another
In the second state. showing TO the right
some alteration in a tree and to the left a
newly lettered tablet Ramondi's transcript
ton of Raphaers Descent from the Cross"
which is included in this exhibit, came from
Sir Peter Lely's collection, and among the
more interesting Of his engravings Is a
copy from famous woodcut by Albrecht
Durer.
The German section opens with print
tive woodcut colored by hand called The
CIedo" and showing eighteen little pictures
with representations placed in six tiers of
three The drawing Is rude, but the coloring
il bright and we'll preserved The next is a
Virgin and Child" done after the same
manner, with heavy printed outline and
crudely colored surface. The tiuts in this are
chiefly brown and red, and its somewhat
careless rendering recalls the fact that the
first printed pictures were not regarded as
works of art, but were ATTENDED to interest
the common people.
Among the oddities Of the exhibit are two
prints produced by the ''interraised' or
dotted method" which simply means that
they were punched or hammered up from
the back The result Is a strong and Wig
orous impression, but one in which the lines
are more rounded and less clear. These, too
are colored. one in brown and green. most
pleasingly.
With these have been placed Master E,
SIS Salvador Mundi," head of the Savior
rendered with unusual fervency of feeling,
and the famous little black madonna of
which only four copies are said to be in
existence. This is picture of the Virgin
and Child" seated on q bank, and acquires
It's name through the TACT tHdt IL ~ pIIlttu
In white outline on black linked paper.
Martin Schongauer, who lived in Colmar,
Germany. between the years 1870 and 1isS.
and is supposed to have been a pupil OF
Roger van der Weyden, Is largely represents
ed He was versatile, but his themes were
chiefly religious To modern eyes his work,
dc ubtless, takes on an ina ginative quali-r
and his theology appears primitive or di :
torted but he was profoundly serious, and
he undoubtedly set forth with truth the
doctrines of his day. There is an exception
ally fine print of his Christ Bearing His
Cross" and an unusually interesting one of
his Nativity as well as ftrst-rate i'm
preston of his est. Anthony Tormented by
Demons" which, it is said. was taken to
Italy by Durer and copied by Michael An
gelo.
Little knowledge Of Perspective.
a certain sculp.uresaue feeling is notable
in the work of the early italian engravers,
but the Germans expended more thought
on line than form. Neither had however,
displayed for many years much knowledge
OF perspective. This Is specially evidenced