Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-05-24

many years ART eolCOT Oh IIie Oetl-
tury now on view in the Library Of Congress.
our American school of wood engravers was
unique, and the development OF this art along
new lines by those represented in this collection
was one OF the most notable contributions that
we as Americans have made in the field OF art.
The development came in answer to real
need for the art and is something to which
we can always point with pride. But, unhap-
ply the need was short lived and the art today
has fallen into complete disuse. This need was
Che outgrowth of the evolution OF the monthly
magazine purposed for the general reader, and
desire to supply Illustrations Of better quail
fty than those which up to that time had APP
peared in not only periodicals but books. The
art of wood engraving as we see it here set
forth was employed almost exclusively for re-
production purposes rather than original ex-
preston. The engravings were made from
paintings, from drawings and even from photo
graphs, which we're but seldom seen by the en-
kravers. The technique and the skill Of the
engravers in reproducing such works, rendering
to great extent the style Of the original artist
Is little short of miraculous. The work in itself
In some instances is as fine as that done ON
copper or steel plates, and the cutting OF wood
blocks Of this sort is infinitely more difhcult
In the copper or steel engraving the indentation
made by the engraver holds the ink and Is re-
corded in the impression. In the wood engrav-
4ng the method is reversed, the line standing
IN relief, the ink being applied to the surface
u, q
white line process But strangely enough,
this reversal of method and change Of material
seemed to have given not only fresh impetus
10 the engravers art, but increased Its poten-
tialties, for there Is a painterlike quality In
much of the wood engraving Of our American
school which is not found In the works Of
engravers on metal
The two outstanding representatives Of this
school, Henry Wolf and Timothy Cole, both
born in 1882. and the latter still living, are well
represented in this collection. Wolf Is an Al
satan by birth and learned his art In Europe,
but he practiced 1t almost exclusively in this
country, to which he came in early youth. He
exhibited in Paris London and other great Eu-
ropean art centers and received high awards,
and at our st. Louis Exposition he was given
a diploma and gold medal for distinguished
service in developing the art Of wood engraving.
For the most part, Henry Wolf engraved the
works Of American artists, and through his in
corporations are handed down to us today
Beautiful reproductions Of the finest work of
some Of our leading American masters. Two
Of his most famous series appearing in the
Century Magazine were of works by American
artists and men and women painted by Gilbert
Stuart For Harpers Magazine he engraved
berries of reproductions Of masterpieces in the
Metropolitan Museum Of Art. Among his works
In this exhibition Of extraordinary interest Is
PThe Fox Hunt" by Winslow Homer; Sargents
portrait Of Miss Ca y Thomas and q reproduc-
zion Of a famous painting by Frank D. Mnlet' TO
mention only few In 1908 Henry Wolf was
made member of the National Academy Of
Design. He died in 1916.
Timothy Cole. his equally distinguished con-
frere, was born in London and came TO this
country In 1871, entering almost Immediately
the employ of the Century Magazine, at that
time Scribners Being commissioned by the
Century Co., he went to Europe in 1883 to en-
grave a series of paintings by the old masters,
the engraving Of which kept him continuously
occupied and abroad until approximately 1910.
&dis Italian series was finished in 1892, his
Dutch and Flemish series in 1896, his English
series in 1900 and his Spanish Esies in 1910,