Evening star., 1925-03-26
THE NORTH WINDOW
BY LEILA MECHLIN.

I
oay afternoon at the Smithsonian In
stltutlon by John Taylor Arms, the
| Wen known etcher, could have failed
70 pc impressed by the extraordinary
olTncuities which at every step con-
front those who choose this as a me-
dium of expression. To the major
ity or laymen unacquainted with
technfcal processes an etching rep
resents a delicately rendered draw
ing printed in some mysterious way
through the use of acids Those who
nad the privilege of witnessing the
demonstration given by Mr.. Arms
now know better. for with him they
we're able to follow. step by step, the
making of an etching from the ini-
tial preparation of the plate to the
final printing
And how much there was to be
done and to be explained-the coat
ing or the plate, the preparation Of
| the SURFACE on which the drawing
| would be made. the drawing by use
ef the etcher's needle, then the etch-
ing by means of one or several acids,
the stopping-out process, and, finally
the removal of the ground and the
| Varnlsh, the cleaning and preparation
OF the plate. the mixing and the print
ing, Mr.. Arms explained how 1t was
desirable to press just enough upon
| the needle to mark the surface Of
| NAfN p%~tO' AAo" cOIl6 lines SHOuIQ De
bitten for two minutes, others for
four, others for six, still others for
ten and SO on: how after one biting
| those lines which were sufficiently
bitten were stopped out" and the
plate reimmersed in the acid Be-
fore his audience, on account OF the
short time at his disposal, he applied
the acid with a feather, moving 1t
gently back and forth across those
| parts where NJ hiffnor q
TO be done, watching the effect as the
acid bit into the copper and an evil
dent reaction took place. But what
hazards the etcher experienced A
half minute too long or too short
may spell ruin or, IL not ruin, at least
something short of success. The art
ist who draws a picture is all occu-
pied in the matter of craftsmanship,
| composition, rendering; tho etcher
when he has accomplished all this
has still the difficulties of complicat-
ed mechanical process confronting
him. The housewife will recognize
a certain similarity to tho maxim e
of q cake. After being properly
mixed 1t must be properly baked, and
the shade of difference in time makes
all the difference between success and
failure.
'Why in the world" some one asked
Mr.. Arms after his demonstration,
when etching is beset by so many
almost insupe rable difficulties, when
there is such an enormous amount of
technical hazard, do SO many attempt
it," Because" his answer was, "the
result finally attained cannot be at
tanned in any other way through any
other medium There is something,
he explained, about the incised line
which is different and finer and more
| significant than any other line that
an artist can make. 1t is this which
gives etching its interest and It's fas-
cination and brings the etcher his re-
| ward.
Mr.. Arms explanation of the etch-
ing process was extremely clearly
given, and conveyed in connection
with the demonstration an under
standing not to be had from mere
words. So simple was It that not a
few In the audience were encoura ged
to feel that the process was not be-
yond the boundaries of their own
capability. This Is always the effect
of an exhibition of mastery of art; it
is the fumbler who discourages even
the beginner: ii is the simplicity of
the master work which aliures the
novice and leads him to exclaim: "I
believe could do that too"
y X x *
| Mr.. Arms demonstration had to do
exclusively with the process of what
is known as pure etching, but he did
briefly define and explain the differ
ence between pure etching, dry point
aquatint and mezZotint. He has him
self made most interesting use of
aquatint. expanding its possibilities
far beyond Its supposed potentialities
AS he uses It, II corresponds to an ex-
tent with mezzotint, the ground laid
by the resin dust corresponding to
that made by the rocker, and being
treated similarly in the interpreta-
ton of subject matter. The one has
little more subtlety In tone and q
little less regularity in texture.
Obviously the public is interested
in result, and properly so, but a
knowledge Of processes lends not only
interest, but intelligence in the mat
ter OF critical appreciation.
x
Mr.. Arms explained how much of
the effect and oftentimes the quality
of an etching was dependent upon the
printing, Not infrequentiy,. he said
an etching of comparatively little
value could be made extremely
charming through the skillful ma
nipulation of the printer, but a really
great etching even bad printer could
not spoil. Repeatedly he instanced
Rembrandt as the greatest etcher of
all time, and he called attention In
terestingly to the fact that in this
. particular field all would agree in
} placing this artist first; here, at least,
there Is unanimity OF opinion. He
spoke, too, of the marvel Of Whistlers
etchings, of the beauty of his line, the
perfection of his art.
The etching which he himself made
by way Of demonstration before the
L ayydg ,.1t,. re u,
tres Cathedral as seen over the rooftops
OF the town. 1t was taken from a
sketch made when In that picturesque
old city year ago. He claimed for
it no artistic merit, for, as he ex-
planned, etchings were not done while
you waited; and those who sat lis
tening and watching could not have
failed to be Impressed with both the
sureness and the lightness of his
touch as the drawing was made and
with the really charming result SO
skillfully accomplished.
X X
Mr.. Arms spent Is months in
Europe recently, drawing and etching
French and Spanish cathedrals and
| other chiefly architectural themes
He was trained as an architect and
this training has given him a knowl-
edge of structure and structural
| forms which has enabled him to rem
der such forms most sympathetically
He has also inherently the etcher's
instinct. the elemental love OF
beauty, the power OF elimination with
the grasp OF the essential, and he has
very steadily in the past few years
attained high rank among not only
American etc .ers, but the foremost
etchers Of Today. The exhibition OF
his etchings, drypoints and aquatints
now on view in the Smithsonian
Building, Division of Graphic Arts