Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-14
IN THE REALM OF WASHINGTON ART.

HERE is now on exhibition in the
print division of the Library of
/ Congress an extremely interest
ing collection of wood engravings by
Timothy Cole after paintings by Italian,
Dutch, English and Spanish masters
Mr.. Cole, who is thonght> by some
to be the greatest Of living wood en-
gravers and has certainly done much to
revive and dignity the art, was born in
London in 1852 and brought to America
when a lad. His early years, we are told.
were filed with privations and hard work
and though his later ones have been with
out anxiety. they have afforded, it would
SEEM few idle days. Since Mr.. Cole went
to Europe in 1888 he has engraved sixty
seven blocks from famous Italian paint
ings, thirty blocks from old Dutch and
Flemish masterpieces, forty-eiSht of the
old English masters and twenty-nine rep
resentative works of Spanish painters
which furnish collectively an enormous
record of industry as we'll as skill. When
it is understood that engraving on wood
means the cutting away OF all the white
lines so that the part to be printed Will re-
main in relief some conception can be
had of the tremendous labor entalled ana
the technical difficulties which have TO be
reckoned with. A single block such as
these of Mr.. Coles requires weeks and
sometimes months for its execution. Even
with the assistance of photography the
labor is merely lightened and the result
made more sure. But why, 1t may be
asked go to so much trouble to reproduce
a painting in the present day when by
PHOTOGRAPHIC processes 1t can be done
4t1yA n,a NJ YErNr
is unauestionably reasonable, but If one
will compare the two results there Will be
no need of an answer-the wood engrav-
ing giving the far more G. mpiete and IN
telligent transcription. To be sure Mr..
Cole has carried his art to great perfec-
tion and spared no pains to make his
TRANSACTIONS accurate, doing his work
wherever it was possible directly from the
original.
tons found in the current magazines were
wood cuts and some of the foremost paint
ers of the present day were engaged at
that time in wood engraving, but within
that decade the half-tone Photographic
process came In vogue ana lliustrative
work was completely revolutionized. Of
the many who studied and were previously
| employed in wood cutting, or ell raving,
two kept on--Timothy Cole and Henry
| Wolf-and through the merit of their work
| enforced it's continuance. This was. jim
deed a courageous thing to do, as for
success it inevitably required unrtvaled
| attainment.
or these two distinguished wood en-
gravers Mr. Cole has perhaps been the
| more studious worker. bending his entire
| energies toward faithful transcription,
and eliminating, as far as possible, al!
| trace Of his own personality. For this
reason his reproductions Of great paint
| ings may be accepted as veracious, but
will sometimes be found lacking In spon-
| taneity. This over conscien" Gus caution
| Is less observable. however, in the proofs
which are shown in this exhibition than
in the magazine reprints made from cleo
trotype plates, and being SO much nearer
the hand of the engraver stands as better
evidence of his intent. Technically he does
not in any instance differentiate the sew
eral masters whose works he has tran