Evening star., 1937-06-05
By Leila Mechlin.
collection

~ the British Isles and America
4 100 and more years ago was
formally presented to the Law School
OF Georgetown University on June 3
by DR.. and Mrs James Brown Scott
Of this city.
These portraits, 80 in number,
have a dual interest; that derived
from the personality and celebrity
of the subjects, and that inherent in
the art with which they are portrayed.
Not only are great men in the legal
profession in our English-speaking
world here set before us and me-
morialized, bat the greatest painters
and engravers of their several times
are most admirably represented by
works of extraordinary distinction.
When these men lived. photography
had not been discovered, and to pre-
serve their likeness the leading por-
trait painters of the day were called
IN. and after them, to provide ad-
ditional copies. the services Of the
engravers were sought.
This collection consists Of engrav-
1ngs after the works of famous paint
ers. the engravers Of which, in many
instances, were no less famous than
the painters themselves. It is q col
lection which has taken years and
dlligent search to assemble; it repre-
sents, II a hobby-then one extremely
well ridden-certainly tireless en-
thusiasm, coupled with knowledge OF
the subject in hand and exceptional
judgment and taste in the matter Of
selection. Mrs. Scott, it is under
stood, has been indefatigable In her
pursuit for certain subjects, and
knowing what she wanted has been
willing to wait in some instances
several years for possession. In every
case the print procured and now
presented is In perfect condition,
without naw or blemish, despite great
age.
The distinction of these works as
portraits Is the first impression of the
visitor who views this collection for
. first time. What dignifled, charac-
terful men were these eminent jurists
Of England, Ireland, Scotland and
America in the late eighteenth and
early nineteenth centuries, and with
what grave impressiveness their
painters set them forth. recording
personality as we'll as likeness, and
In such wise as to carry conviction
The painters OF the English school
OF this period are supposed to have
excelled in portraying feminine
beauty, and it has become the fashion
OF late rather to look down upon
them as merely ingratiating and too
eager to please. But this collection
Of portraits of men, engraved after
works by these same painters, SO well
known that they scarcely need be
named, refute such charges Almost
without exception they are strong,
vital sand ignihcant-works which
fulfll their purpose in the field of por-
traiture and are pre-eminent, as the
same time, as works Of art. These
painters were no weaklings; they
commanded their medium and used
1t with art and assurance.
Almost equally remarkable, more
over, Is the skill Of the engravers
through which the painters mastery
productions found adequate and salts
tying translation. The ma ajority of
these were meZZotinters. and raye
themselves exclusively to reproducing
the works OF others. which they did
with such perfection of skill and
submergence of their own personali-
ties that the character Of the original
work is completely preserved.
M MELlOTINT engraving was in
vented, or discovered on the con-
tment OF Europe early in the seven
teenth century, but reached its great
est height in Great Britain more
than century and a half later-a
helght so eminent that it became gen.
orally known as ia maniere Anelaise :"
1t Is a difficult process, but peculiarly
well adapted for reproductive pur-
poses. A metal plate. usually copper.
Is covered with small dots by means
OF rocker" fat steel instrument
with curved cutting edge, set with
many fine teeth to the inch. This.
turned back and forth and slowly
drawn across the plate, evenly roughs
the surface, so that if linked it would
print solid black. When this ground
n satisfactorily laid. the engraver
draws upon 1t his design and proceeds
TO scrape away the dots as necessary
to develop gradations of tones essen
tial TO modelling of form. He works,
1t will be seen, from the dark to light.
rather than, as in other instances,
from light to dark Well handled. it
produces exceedingly pleasing effects.
The art OF mezzotinting came to
London via Dublin in 1865, being in
troduced by one John Dixon, who
through his reproductions OF paintings
by Reynolds. Gainsborough and
others, did much to popularize the
art. He was rapidly followed by
others, most famous among whom
were John Raphael Smith, Valentine
Green and Samuel William Reynolds
the last Of whom "scraped" no less
than 357 plates after Sir Joshua
Reynolds alone. 1t was the works OF
this painter and his contemporaries
which supplied the mezzotinters with
material for engraving, and when the
school died out, mezzotinting began
to deteriorate, until finally the advent
Of mechanical processes Of reproduc-
ton practically brought it to and end
which Is q great pity.
The portraits in this engaging and
most valuable collection, assembled
and given by DR.. and Mrs. Jane.
Brown Scott, are not all by any mean,
rendered in mezzotint; some are en-
graved in line, others in stipple, and
very finely. This work Is done with Z
wedse-shaped graver. by hand, on .
copper or steel plate, and is also
chiefly reproductive. Line engraving
= less plant medium than mezzo-
tint. but when skillfully handled
capable Of very fine and accurate re-
suits. The French were especially
eminent as portrait engravers, and
some Of their interpretations through