The San Francisco call., 1908-08-16

Ol4G Ql the lc8Sl ulQGEStOOQ branches
of art is that which, in its recent acces-
sion of interest as displayed in foreign
centers, has awakened a corresponding
interest in cities on the far off edge
of western civilization-that of Iitho-
graphing. The schism that occurred in
the art community of Paris about 10
years ago, says a leading art journal
was more or less echoed all over the
continent. Munich followed Paris with
its secession" and art centers all over
the world felt the thrill of the new de-
parture in this style of work Through
these departures chrome lithography
has been elevated to the dignity of a
fine art. Etymclogically speaking,
lithography is the art of writing on
stone; speaking artistically, it means
chemical printing, and Alloys Senefelder,
the German, through the now historic
incident of the washerwoman and her
bill, claims the credit OF having first
discovered a process by which the art
of printing from stone was made pos
sible.
DISCOVERY OF PROCESS
Briefly speaking, the Incident is as
follows: Senefelder, alone in his labor
atory one day and busily working on
some chemical combination, was inter-
who desired him to write out bill for
the washerwoman, just arrived, as she
could not take the time. Senefelder
looked hastily around, but saw nothing
in the way of paper or ink with which
70 fulfill her wish. Casting his eyes
on the table he saw there fat stone,
perfectly clean and smooth. and, seizing
a crayon lying near, he wrote the bill
on the stone The next day, about to
wipe off the writing, the thought came
TO him, Why not bite the stone with
nitric acid and see if the acid will leave
the writing untouched, so that an inn
preston can be taken from the raised
letters and then transferred to paper?"
He Immediately began to experiment,
with the result that the first printing
from stone was given to the world.
SERVES PRACTICAL PURPOSES
Senefelder's discovery was utilized for
practical purposes, but it remained for
Engelmann, a Frenchman, to apply the
new method 10 artistic uses. Since then
the art has hourished, faded, almost
died, revived and thrived in certain art
centers, notably that of Karlsruhe,
where some Of the finest and rarest of
prints have been obtained from the
works Of known masters, some of
which have a value recognizable only
by the trained collector. Among the
are such names as Daur, Gattiker,
Grethe, Helm, Kampmann, Langheim,
Weiss and WuIm Examples from the
pencil of Kampmann, Won Volkmann
and Grethe are now on exhibition at
Vickery's.
These German prints have an meal
culable value Besides marking the
growth OF an art destined to become
one CT the greatest OF Its day. they
are purchasable by the collector or
dilettante for much smaller sum than
would at first seem possible. A rare
print Of certain subjects may cost as
high as $50 or sac; but for those for
whom the works of the masters are
Unattainable. the contemplation of
these free and bold works Of the PEN
ell viii reveal something of the charm,
security and emotional quality charac-
terizing the artists larger and, per-
haps, more pretentious efforts.
PRINTS TO BE EXHIBITED
Kampmann's best Autograph is The
Rising Moon" done with two tones
only, and tinted rather than colored
This is not on exhibition, but in the
description the disk of the moon is
just rising in a broad landscape ana
beginning to fill a misty atmosphere
with mysterious, hazy light. The re-
production is exceedingly hne
Won Nolkmann'S best effects are in
landscapes. He has done THE Chaus
see" a Quiet Pond and The Lonely
Light" all of which are rich in emo
tional quality and fullness of inter
probation. His conception is broad"
says one critic and he successfully
reduces variety of colors and forms
IN nature to simple scheme that
makes essentials stand out and unim-
porrant features disappear"
exhibition at Elders next week The
few that have been shown have at
tracted much attention. for their won
derfui originality. their splendid depth
and power of characterization and for
the beauty and interest of the subjects
limned.
TELLS EXPERIENCE ABROAD