Evening star., 1941-02-23

dainty art and delicate craft that
carries with it a fragrance OF old
! time graces, pleasures and man
nerS" rS"-WhiCh, indeed, it is. Referring
to the time in which these prints
were created, the same distinguished
writer has said, of all the centuries
other than our own, the one that
admits us most easily and delight
fully to intimacy is. perhaps, the
18th which he declares, with its
dignity, grace and charm, could be
less we'll spared from remembrance
than the 10Th century" with its
Victorian stodgineSs.
These 18th century printmakers
were above all, what today is called
socially conscious" inaSmuch as
they set down for remembrance the
typical life of the period-at least,
the life of the class which reflected
the French social ideals of the
period. 1t was an elegant, pleasure
loving society, even then laughing
its way to the revolution and death,
punctilious in matters of courtesy
politeness-and also in whatever
touched artistic taste, an offense
against which was regarded, we are
told, as unforgivable.
Valuable Contribution.
There were great artists in those
days, but the printmakers had
field of their oWn-a popular one
and they have, through their artistic
feeling and consummate craft, made
therein valuable contribution. What
would have happened to this art
had it, and all the art of France,
not been interrupted by war between
that country and Great Britain,
with the subsequent downfall of
monarchy and revision of social Or
ders, none can say; but because of
this interruption it fell into disuse,
for which reason the examples that
remain are today much sought and
highly priced collectors items.
Used Separate Plates.
The French engravers of the 18th
century, like those of England, as
rule, copied paintings made by
others; but the difference between
the French and the English print of
the period was, that with the Eng
lish, color was an thought,
whereas, with the French it was the
original intent. English stipple en-
cravings and mezzotints were made
and then color was added; the aqua
tintS of the French, or the prints
done in what was called the crayon
manner, were etched primarily to
be printed in color, the method fol-
lowed being not dissimilar to the
three-color process now generally
in vogue, a separate plate being
etched for each color and with per-
feet register, superimposed one on
another.
Probably the first French print
maker to employ the aquatlnt
method for color print making was
Francois Janinet, four of whose
works are included in this current
loan exhibition. Three of these,
dated 1885 and the year following,
are boudoir scenes daintily rendered
after paintings in gouache by Nico-
las Lawrence, a Swede then living
in France, who is said to have given
social Paris glimpses of it's own
! image. Janinet's fourth print in this
| collection is a portrait of Marie
Antoinette, "Reine de France" done
in 1777 after a famous full-length
portrait and gaining much both
| through restriction in size and ex-
quisite delicacy of Interpretation.
Janinet must have been funny fell
| low, for it is told of him that, wish
| ing to gain publicity and thereby
sale of his prints, he once planned
to make a balloon ascension from
the Luxembourg Gardens, but was
foiled and almost mobbed at the last
moment by the balloon bursting into
flames, to the indignation of those
who had paid to witness the much
advertised spectacle.
One of the few French print
makers who designed and executed
the pictures which he later aqua
tinted in color was Philibert Louis
Debucourt, whose charming genres,
Les Bouquets ou la Fete de la
Grandmaman" and lie Compliment
ou la Matinee du Jour de PAn," are
both here and of exceptional appeal
both artistically and subjectively-
typical French family scenes rem
dered with nice feeling and without
sentimetality. Debucourt lived and
worked until 1882, but the best work
of this brilliant painter-engraver
was done before the turn of the
century.
Charles M. Descourtis was a pupil
of Janinet and said to be worthy
of his master. He is seen at his
best here in quartette of gay little
prints-"La Noce de Village" La
Foire de Village" LIE Tambourin'
and LA Rixe." all made after paint
ings in gouache by Antoine Taunay.
The fourth of the outstanding
color printmakers of France repre-
sented in this delightful little ex-
hibition is Louis Marin Bonnet, who
undoubtedly had inventive genius