The New York herald., 1922-01-08
Exhibition of Aquatints
At Public Library


For the exhibition of aquatints now
in the New York Public Library there
is good reason. Etching has had pretty
much its own way in the modern exhibi-
tions. Aquatint is its adjunct, it's silent
partner. tying together lines and spaces
between them into tones light or dark.
losing its identity In the general process
OF etching, which, in the end, is also
the process of aquatint. 1t is hand
maid to etching--the better known
medium. 1t Is an effective response to
the longing for relative completeness
of visible effect which does not make
the same demand upon mind and imag-
ination as the etching. For the etching
is in line and the line is ever symbol
since nature has no lines-and average
humanity avoids symbols and adores
statements. But the symbol may be
true In it's ultimate effect, and the COM
plete description untrue.
Aquatint is what the artist makes 1t,
cheap device to gain cheap effects or
an effective aid to the artist whose
mastery of technique is matched by
genuine mental activity. That is what
the present exhibition in the library
strives to show, through comparison of
exhibits that trace the development of
aquatint during a hundred and fifty
| years.
In aquatintng copper plate is COW
cred with minute particles of resinous
| substance. which are either busted on
the plate in powder form or deposited
on it in an alcoholic solution. The plate
| is then immersed in an acid bath. which
| attacks the copper wherever it has not
been protected by the resinous particles.
The result in printing is a fat tint, with
sort Of crackle effect caused by NIL
nttta urhi 70 ttyha ha lafo ~
resin were. In order to get lighter or
darker tones stopping out" is resorted
to as in etching. That is. when the plate
has beer acted on by the acid for
certain time 1t is taken out and the
portions to appear lightest are brushed
over with stopping out varnish, which
protects them from the acids biting.
The plate is then placed in the acid
again, and this process is repeated ac-
| cording to the number of gradations
desired by the artist until the darkest
portions are reached. which thus are
exposed longest to the acid
Aquatint has distinct limits, but Is
pleasing and useful art within those re-
strctions, with a liquid translucency
and possibilities Of delicacy and dark
ness, though hardly the rich black Of
the meZzotint. Employed in It's purity
1t showed pretty sharply outlined fiat
tints. More recent experimenting, by
intermingling other processes. has over
| come the difficulty of producing grada-
tions. Indeed, the French eighteenth
century makers of color prints practiced
superimpositon of technical manipula-
tions to noteworthy degree. Among
them were Vidal, Morret. and especially
Debucourt. whose suppression of the fiat
grain. concealing the labor of the pro-
cess, was praised by the Goacourts. The
enthusiasm of the Goncourts apparently
made them overlook the fact that labor
is just as much there whether II is evil
denced in numerous obvious lines or
dots or covered by a conglomeration OF
devices and processes which one can
painfully disintegrate only with the aid
of a strong magnifying glass.
Originally aquatint was evolved
through the desire TO initiate and re-
produce wash drawings in water color.
sepia or white 1t was so
used by j. b. lie Prince. who, 1t seems.
invented it in 1853. Paul Sandby intro
duced 1t into England, where It also ap-
peared In its pure state. In the lightness
OF aquarelle. Thus it served. we'll into
the nineteenth century, for separate
prints and for book illustrations, note
worthy among the latter being those for
the "Microcosm of London" and "Ay-
toms Voyage Round Great Britain"
The production Of such work Is de-
scribed in Martin Hardie's English Col
CURED Books" Rowlandson, for in
stance, would dash off an outline in
etching. From that plate there was
taken an impression on which he washed
in India ink the necessary modelling and
shading. This added work was aqua
tinted on the plate by the engraver
From the plate thus amplified there was
pulled another proof. on which the artist
completed the desired effect by light
washes of color. This last then served
as a model for the staff of trained color
lists whom publishers such as Acker-
mann kept busily employed. Thus.
aquatint formed an effective and COM
paratively quick means of multiplying
drawings of landscape and city views,
caricatures and the coaching and sport
ing prints 20 dear to the British heart.
II was transplanted to this country and
gave US series such as the famous 'Hud-
son River Portfolio" as we'll as other
prints. which brought our attention TO
picturesque beauties of our own land.