PROVING AND PRINTING.
85. =Wax Proofs.=--Our first desire, after the ground has been removed
from the plate, is to see a proof. If you have no press, and yet desire
to take proofs of your work after each biting, you may employ the
following process to good advantage:--
Take a sheet of very thin paper, a little larger than your plate, and
cover it with a thin layer of melted wax. The latter must be real white
wax. Then sprinkle a little lamp-black on your engraved plate, and
distribute it with your finger, so as to rub it into the lines; clean
the surface of the plate by carefully passing the palm of your hand over
it. Now lay the sheet of paper on the plate, with its waxed surface
down, and be sure to turn the edges of the paper over on the back of the
plate, so as to prevent its moving; then rub with the burnisher in all
directions. The lamp-black sticks to the wax, and is sure to give an
approximate image, sufficient to guide you in the further prosecution of
your work, if that should be necessary.[20]
86. =The Printing-Press.=--These proofs, however, as well as those which
were hurriedly printed for you so far, give only a mere idea of your
work, without conveying its full meaning. If you desire to become
acquainted with all the resources of the printing-press, you will have
to go to a plate printer. It is well worth your while to acquire this
knowledge, also, after you have familiarized yourself with the various
processes at the command of the etcher.
Here, then, is the printer at his press: at his side there is a box made
of sheet-iron, enclosing a chafing-dish; there are also printing-ink, a
ball for inking, rags, and paper.[21] He is about to explain the use
made of these things to our young student, who delivers his plate to
him, and is anxious to be instructed in all that relates to the taking
of impressions.
87. =Natural Printing.=--The printer now begins his explanations as
follows:--
I place the plate on the sheet-iron box (the plate-warmer); it there
acquires the necessary degree of heat, and I then spread the printing
ink over it by means of this ball; the ink penetrates into the lines,
and completely covers the whole surface of the plate; I remove the
excess of ink with a coarse muslin rag, precisely as this is done in all
other kinds of plate printing; I now clean the plate with the palm of my
hand, so that no ink is left on it anywhere but in the lines; I finally
wipe the margins of the plate evenly, so as to leave a delicate tint on
the etched part only, and then I put the plate into the press. The plate
is laid on the travelling-board or bed of the press, which runs between
two cylinders of iron or hard wood; on the plate I lay a piece of paper,
slightly moistened, and I cover the whole with several thicknesses of
flannel; I turn the wheel of the press, and the cylinders, turning on
themselves, carry along the travelling-board, which, in passing between
them, is subjected to great pressure. The paper is thus pressed into the
lines on the plate, and this process is facilitated by the elasticity of
the flannel. You see now that your plate has come out on the other side
of the rollers (or cylinders): we have given the press only one turn,
although, as a rule, the plate is passed through the press twice, by
making it travel back again under the rollers. This imparts strength to
the impression; but occasionally the lines are not rendered as
delicately and with as much precision, as with only one turn. I remove
the flannel, and very carefully lift the paper; it has absorbed the ink:
we have before us a _natural proof_, which shows the exact state of the
plate (see Pl. I.). Line-engravings are printed in the same manner; with
this difference, however, that the tint, more or less apparent, which is
preserved on an etching, is not allowed to remain on a plate engraved
with the burin.
88. =Artificial Printing.=--The printing of etchings very frequently
differs from the simple method just described. It must be varied
according to the style of execution adopted by the etcher; and, as much
of the harmony of the plate may depend upon it, it sometimes rises to
the dignity of an art, in which the artist and the printer are merged
into each other,--the printer losing himself in the artist, as he is
compelled to enter into the latter's ideas; and the artist giving way to
the printer, to avail himself of his practical experience. The proof
from your plate, for instance, has a dry look (see Pl. I.); it needs
more softness, and this can be given to it by the printer.[D] (See Pl.
II.)
[D] It would be a great advantage if every etcher could print his own
proofs. Rembrandt is the most striking example, as he was the author
of many of the devices in use even to-day. A press can easily be
procured. The firm of Ve. Cadart, Paris, has had a little portable
press constructed, especially for the use of artists and amateurs. All
the necessary accessories for printing can also be obtained of this
firm. (See Note 22.)
I will now explain to you some of the various artifices which are
employed in printing.
89. =Handwiping with Retroussage.=--Having _wiped the plate with the
palm of the hand_, we might _bring it up again (la retrousser)_ by
playing over it very lightly with a piece of soft muslin rag rolled
together. The muslin draws the ink out of the lines, and spreads it
along their edges, so that, in the proof, the space between the lines is
filled up by a vigorous tint. But this process can only be used on
plates in which the lines are evenly disposed throughout, and, more
especially, scattered. To produce the proper effect the _retroussage_
must be general; because, if the rag passes over one passage only, and
not over the others, or, if it is brought into play only on the dark
parts, and not in the lights, there will be discordance of tone, and
consequently want of harmony. In the present case, therefore,
_retroussage_ would be unsatisfactory, because the work on your plate,
while it is broadly treated in some parts, is so close in others that
there is no room left between the furrows. It follows that there is no
place for the ink, drawn out of the lines, to spread on; the result
would be a muddy tint,--one of those overcharged impressions which bring
criticism upon the printer, because he has applied _retroussage_ to a
plate which did not need it.
90. =Tinting with a Stiff Rag.=--Let us now try another means. The proof
will gain in freshness if we soften the lines by going over the plate,
_after it has been wiped with the hand_, somewhat more heavily with
_stiff muslin_. Owing to the pressure used, the rag, instead of carrying
away the ink which it has taken up out of the lines, retains it; a tint
like that produced by the stump is spread over the plate, and envelops
the lines without obscuring them; the proof is supple and velvety. (See
Pl. II.)
91. =Wiping with the Rag only.=--Here is another variety. I am just
printing a number of original plates by different artists. Being true
painter's etchings, some of these plates are boldly accentuated and
heavily bitten; the lines are widely apart, and significant. If these
plates were printed _naturally_, they would yield bare and poor-looking
proofs. Wiping with the hand would be useless. I therefore go over the
plate with _stiff_ muslin. In the same manner I continue and finish, so
as to give the greatest amount of cleaning to the luminous passages,
while a tolerably strong tint is left on the dark and deeply bitten
ones.
Or I might have wiped the plate energetically with soft muslin, and then
might have brought up again certain passages with a soft and somewhat
cleaner rag.
This method of wiping, which leaves on the surface of the plate a tint
of more or less depth, must not be confounded with _retroussage_. Here
is a proof of one of the plates of which I spoke to you: it is well
sustained at all points; the lines are full and nourished; the general
aspect is harmonious and energetic; the lights are softened; the
strongly marked passages are enveloped in a warm tint. One might almost
say that the effect of painting has been carried into etching.
This method is employed for plates which have been deeply bitten, but
upon which stopping-out has been used but sparingly, for works in which
there is sobriety of expression, or for sketches (see Pl. VIII.). It is
all the more necessary, sometimes, for the printer to take the
initiative, the simpler the plate has been etched; it is left to him, in
short, to complete the intention merely indicated by the artist.
[Illustration: Plate VIII.]
92. =Limits of Artificial Printing.=--These examples have shown to you
that difference in tone depends on the amount of pressure, and the
variety of texture in the muslin. It is oftentimes necessary--and this
is an affair of tact--to make use of these diverse qualities of the
muslin on the same plate,--now reducing an over-strong tint by more
vigorous wiping; now giving renewed force to it, in case it has become
too soft.
These various means constitute the art of printing etchings. But, while
fully recognizing their efficiency when they are used to the purpose, we
must also keep in mind the dangers which arise from their being applied
without discernment. Plates produced by an intelligent combination of
bitings, must be printed naturally, if they are not to lose the absolute
character given to them by the needle and the acid. If they are at all
wiped with the rag, so as to impart more softness to them, it must, at
least, be done with the greatest of care.
The artist has every thing to gain, therefore, by watching over the
printing of his plates, and instructing the printer as to the manner in
which he desires to be interpreted. Some etchers prefer the simplicity
of the natural state; but the great majority favor the other method of
printing, which, for the very reason that it is difficult, and on
account of the many variations in its application, ought always to be an
object of interest to the printer, and the aim of his studies. It is,
moreover, the method which is generally understood and adopted by our
first etchers.[22]
93. =Printing Inks.=--The quality and the shade of the ink, as well as
the way in which it is ground, are of great importance in the beauty of
a proof. Inks are made of pure black, slightly tempered with bistre or
burnt sienna, and the shade can be varied according to taste. A plate
like yours needs a delicate black, composed of Frankfort black and
lamp-black; the bistre-tint, which, in the course of time, loses its
freshness and strength, would not answer. This tint is always best
suited to strongly bitten work, but in your case it would be
insufficient. A very strong black, on the other hand, would make your
etching look hard. This last shade--pure, or very slightly broken with
bistre--is preferable for strongly accented plates.[23]
94. =Paper.=--_Laid paper_ is the most suitable paper for printing
etchings; its sparkle produces a marvellous effect; its strength defies
time itself.
Some artists and amateurs ransack the shops for old paper with brown and
dingy edges, which, to certain plates, imparts the appearance of old
etchings.
_India paper (Chinese paper)_ promotes purity of line; but, as its
surface is dull, it furnishes somewhat dry and dim proofs.
_Japanese paper_, of a warm yellowish tint, silky and transparent, is
excellent, especially for plates which need more of mystery than of
brilliancy, for heavy and deep tones, and for concentration of effect.
Japanese paper absorbs the ink, and it is necessary, therefore, to bring
up (_retrousser_) the plate strongly, and to wipe it with the rag. This
paper is less favorable to sketches, the precise, free, and widely
spaced lines of which accommodate themselves better to the tint of the
laid paper.
_Parchment_ may also be used for proofs; nothing equals the beauty of
such proofs, printed either naturally, or wiped with the rag; they are
the treasures of collectors.[24]
95. =Epreuves Volantes.=--On Chinese and Japanese paper, as well as on
parchment, so-called _epreuves volantes_ (flying proofs) are printed;
that is to say, loose proofs, which are not pasted down on white paper.
They are simply attached to Bristol board by the two upper corners,
which brings them out perfectly.
96. =Proofs before Lettering.=--All of these various kinds of paper,
each of which has its own claim for excellence, and especially Japanese
paper, are by preference used for artists' proofs and proofs before
lettering, which are printed before the title is engraved on the plate.
It is customary to print a greater or less number of such proofs, which,
being struck off when the plate is still quite fresh, show it at its
best. After that, the plate is lettered, and an ordinary edition is
printed from it.
It follows from this that the possessor of a proof without title has the
best the plate can afford to give. But, as the pictures by the masters
do not stand in need of a signature to be recognized, so the proofs
before lettering may well do without the guaranty which is found in the
absence of a title; even without this guaranty an amateur knows how to
recognize the virgin freshness of an early impression, which is still
further augmented by the extreme care bestowed on the printing of these
exceptional proofs, but which cannot be kept up through a long edition.
97. =Epreuves de Remarque.=--_Epreuves de remarque_ (marked proofs),
showing the different states of the plate, and the various modifications
which it underwent, are also sought after. Their rarity increases their
price.[25]
98. =Number of Impressions which a Plate is capable of yielding.=--The
number of impressions which a plate can yield is not fixed, as the power
of resisting the wear and tear of printing depends largely on the
delicacy or the strength of the work. The quality of the copper must
also be considered, a soft plate giving way much faster than a hard
plate which has been well hammered. The plates prepared to-day do not
resist as well as those formerly made; and as the popularity of works of
art multiplied by the press has considerably increased, it became
necessary to look about for means by which the surface of a copper plate
may be hardened, and be made to yield a large edition. This has been
accomplished by
99. =Steel-facing.=--_Steel-facing_, which was invented by Messrs.
Salmon and Garnier, and which M. Jacquin undertook to render
practicable, consists in depositing a coating of veritable steel, by
galvanic action, on the face of the copper plate, or, in other words, by
the superposition of a hard metal on a soft metal.
This mode of protection, which perfectly preserves the most delicate
passages, even down to the almost invisible scratches of the dry point,
not only guarantees the copper against the contact of the hand and the
rag, which would tell on it more than the pressure of the rollers, but
at the same time makes it possible to print a thousand proofs of equal
purity. Certain plates, owing to the manner of wiping used on them, do
not reach this figure; others, more simply printed, may yield three to
four thousand proofs, and sometimes even a still larger number.
As soon as the plate shows the slightest change, or the copper begins to
reappear, the coating of steel is removed by chemical agents, which,
acting differently on the two metals, corrode the one, while they leave
the other untouched. The plate is thus brought back to its original
state, and is therefore in the same condition as before to receive a
second steel-facing. In this way plates may be _de-steeled_ and
_re-steeled_ a great many times, and the proofs printed from them may be
carried up to considerable quantities.
As a rule, the plates are not steel-faced until after the proofs before
lettering have been printed.
Soft-ground etchings, the biting of which is quite shallow, must be
steel-faced after two to three hundred impressions.
The delicacy of the bur thrown up by the dry point hardly permits the
printing of more than twenty or thirty proofs on an average;
steel-facing carries this number up to a point which cannot be fixed
absolutely, but it is certain that the bur takes the steel quite as well
and as solidly as an etched line. Dry points may, therefore, yield long
editions; the steel-facing must in that case be renewed whenever
necessary.[26]
100. =Copper-facing Zink Plates.=--Zink plates cannot be steel-faced,
but they can be copper-faced.[27] Steel-facing has been adopted by the
Chalcographic Office of the Louvre, and by the _Gazette des Beaux Arts_,
that remarkable and unique publication which is an honor to criticism
and is found in all art libraries. Steel-facing, in fact, is universally
employed; it preserves in good condition the beautiful plates of our
engravers, and makes it possible to put within reach of a great many
people engravings of a choice kind, which but lately were found only in
the _salons_ of the rich and the collections of passionate amateurs.
[Illustration: AN ETCHER'S STUDIO.
From the Third Edition of Abraham Bosse's "Treatise," Paris, 1758.]
[Illustration: Croquis d'apres nature, pour servir de modeles, 1877.
Le Waag, Amsterdam.]
NOTES
BY THE TRANSLATOR.
[1] (p. 2.) To these associations may be added the German Etching Clubs
at Duesseldorf and at Weimar, which issue yearly portfolios of plates
executed by their members, and the American Etching Clubs at New York
and at Cincinnati. The New York Etching Club was organized in April,
1877, with Dr. L. M. Yale as its first president. At this writing Mr.
James D. Smillie is the presiding officer of the club, which has about
twenty-four members, including many of the leading artists of New York.
The Cincinnati Etching Club is composed almost entirely of amateurs. Its
president is Mr. George McLaughlin. Quite lately an Etching Club has
also been formed in Boston, with Mr. Edmund H. Garrett as president.
[2] (p. 3.) Benzine is preferable to turpentine for most of the
operations of the etcher, but more especially for cleaning soiled hands.
It is advisable to use turpentine only when the benzine proves
insufficient to remove the last traces of ground or ink from the lines.
[3] (p. 9.) Something about tools and materials has already been said in
the Introductory Chapter, p. xiv. What is left to be said follows
here:--
_Copper plates_, from visiting-card size (at $1 per dozen), to any
required size can be bought of, or ordered through, the firms named on
p. xiii, or of Mr. Geo. B. Sharp, 45 Gold St., New York. Mr. Sharp will
send price-lists on application. The plates usually sold, at least of
the smaller sizes, are made of an alloy, not of pure copper. These alloy
plates are cheaper and bite more quickly than those of pure copper, but
it happens occasionally that they do not bite evenly, owing to want of
homogeneity in the metal. Still, they are extensively used, and amateurs
will find them preferable to the more expensive copper plates.
_Etching-ground._ A recipe for a cheap and yet a very good ordinary
ground has been given on p. xv. The transparent ground consists of
5 parts, by weight, of white wax.
3 " " gum-mastic.
Gum-mastic costs about thirty-five cents an ounce. Melt the wax first,
and add the gum-mastic in powder gradually, stirring all the while with
a clean glass or metal rod.
_Stopping-out varnish._ (See p. xvi.) There is a varnish sold at
painters' supply-stores under the name of "Asphaltum Varnish for
Sign-Writers' Use," which does very well. In Boston Asahel Wheeler sells
it at fifteen cents a bottle.
_Needle-holders_ are unnecessary if the points described on p. xvi are
used.
_Burnishers_ are sold at the hardware-stores, or by dealers in
watchmakers' materials. They ought not to cost above fifty cents apiece.
_Scrapers._ Same as burnishers. Price not above $1. Some dealers ask $2,
which is exorbitant.
_A lens_ can be obtained of any optician. In Boston they can also be had
of A.J. Wilkinson & Co., hardware dealers, 184 Washington St., at prices
varying from $1 to $1.50.
_India-rubber finger-gloves_ are unnecessary if you use the
"plate-lifter" described on p. xvii.
_Nitric acid._ Messrs. Powers & Weightman's "Nitric Acid, C. P." (i. e.
chemically pure), recommended on p. xvii, is 42 degrees, and Messrs. P.
& W. inform me that the strength is tolerably uniform. If you are an
enthusiastic etcher it will be best to buy a seven-pound bottle, which
is the next largest to the one-pound bottles.
_Tracing-paper_, _gelatine_, _chalk_, and _sanguine_ can be obtained at
the artists' material stores.
_Emery-paper._ Hardware-stores. Price four cents a sheet.
_Roller for revarnishing._ See Note 5.
To the tools and materials mentioned by M. Lalanne the following must be
added: _Whiting_, _benzine_, _turpentine_, _alcohol_, _willow charcoal_.
The last-named article can be supplied by Mr. Geo. B. Sharp, of 45 Gold
St., New York, before mentioned.
[4] (p. 11.) I wrote to M. Lalanne to find out the ingredients of the
_petit vernis liquide_ and _vernis au pinceau_, but he says that he does
not know, and that the recipes are a secret of the maker of these
varnishes. The asphaltum varnish mentioned on p. xvi and in Note 3 does
excellently well, however, both for stopping out and retouching. After
it has been fanned (see p. xxi) until it has thickened sufficiently not
to stick to the finger when touched, but before it is quite dry, it can
be worked upon with the point. If not dry enough, which will manifest
itself readily as soon as you have drawn the first line, fan again. If
it were allowed to dry absolutely, it would chip off under the needle.
There is a liquid ground, made by Mr. Louis Delnoce of the American Bank
Note Company, New York, which--so Mr. Jas. D. Smillie informs me--is
used for retouches by the engravers of the company, is applied with the
brush, is a very quick dryer, tough, and resists acid perfectly. Mr.
Delnoce sells it in ounce bottles at seventy-five cents each.
[5] (p. 12.) The roller for revarnishing, spoken of by M. Lalanne, and
also recommended by Mr. Hamerton, cannot be bought in this country.
Nor--with all due deference to the great experience of M. Lalanne--is
such a large and expensive roller necessary. The rollers used by our
most experienced etchers--Mr. Jas. D. Smillie, for instance--are little
cylinders of India-rubber, about one inch in diameter and one and
one-half inches long. They cost from 50 cents to $2 each. _But these
rollers cannot be used with etching-paste._ The oil of lavender in the
paste attacks the rubber and destroys it. As to the manner of using the
India-rubber roller see Note 12.
[6] (p. 20.) The use of bordering wax is not advisable. But as some
etchers still employ it, I add a recipe for making it, which was kindly
communicated to me by Mr. Peter Moran of Philadelphia:--
3 lbs. Burgundy pitch.
1 lb. yellow beeswax.
1 gill sweet oil.
Melt together and then form into strips.
[7] (p. 21.) Etching is the most individual of the reproductive arts (or
rather of the _multiplying_ arts, the German _vervielfaeltigende
Kuenste_), even in its technical processes. Therefore nearly every etcher
has his own ways of doing, and few agree on all points. Many etchers do
not think it necessary to weaken the acid as described in the text. But
be sure to let it _cool_ after it has been mixed with water, before you
immerse your plate!
[8] (p. 22.) It would take altogether too long to wait for the _perfect_
drying of the asphaltum varnish, nor is it necessary. Fan it, as
described in Note 4, and as soon as it ceases to stick you can again
immerse your plate.
[9] (p. 25.) I have never been able to notice this turning dark of the
lines, although I have had plates in the bath for several hours, and
some of my artist acquaintances whom I have consulted on the point, have
confirmed my experience. Possibly the phenomenon described by M. Lalanne
may be caused by impurities in the acid.
[10] (p. 27.) If the reader will make use of the device for lifting the
plate into and out of the bath, which I have described on p. xvii, there
will be no necessity of burning his fingers. With a little precaution,
and a plentiful use of benzine for washing and cleaning, the daintiest
lady's hand need not suffer from etching.
[11] (p. 29.) For directions for making this ground see Note 3.
[12] (p. 38.) To make the varnish, or rather etching-paste, recommended
in the text, a warm-water bath is not absolutely necessary.
Take any small porcelain or earthenware vessel (a small gallipot is very
convenient, because the etching-paste can be kept in it for use), and
set it upon a metal frame, easily made of wire, so that you can
introduce a spirit lamp under it. Break up a ball, or part of a ball, of
ordinary etching-ground, and throw it into the pot. Heat the pot
carefully, so as just to allow the ground to melt. When it has melted,
add oil of lavender (worth thirty-five cents an ounce at the
druggist's), drop by drop, and keep stirring the mixture with a clean
glass rod. From time to time allow a drop of the mixture to fall on a
cold glass or metal plate. If, on cooling, it assumes the consistency of
pomatum, the paste is finished.
As I have said before, this paste cannot be used with the India-rubber
rollers recommended in Note 5. With these rollers the regrounding must
be done with the ordinary etching-ground with the aid of heat. Warm your
plate so that you can just bear to touch it with the hand, and allow
some of the ground to melt on a second, unused copper plate. Also warm
the roller slightly. Then proceed as M. Lalanne directs in his
fifty-seventh paragraph. The slight changes in the proceeding, which
grow out of the differences between cold and warm ground, are
self-evident.
It is hardly necessary to say that the roller can also be used for
laying the first ground. _But it is of no use on any but perfectly
smooth, straight plates, as it cannot penetrate into hollows._ When it
is not available the dabber must be employed in the old manner.
[13] (p. 39.) Some engravers prefer the dabber to the roller even for
regrounding entire plates. In that case the ground is spread on the
margin of the plate, if that be wide enough, or on a separate plate, and
is taken up by the dabber. The plate to be regrounded must of course be
warmed as for laying a ground with the roller, and care must be taken
not to have the dabber overcharged with ground.
[14] (p. 40.) In default of the charcoal-paste, rubbing with the finest
emery-paper will do to remove the polish.
[15] (p. 40.) I cannot direct the reader to a copper-planer, and
therefore it will be best to give some directions for removing faulty
passages. The following paragraphs are copied bodily from Mr.
Hamerton:--
"The most rapid way is to use sandpapers of different degrees of
coarseness, the coarsest first, and then the scraper, and, finally,
willow charcoal with olive oil. The charcoal will leave the surface in a
fit state to etch upon.
"This scraping and rubbing hollows out the surface of the copper, and
if it hollows it too much the printing will not be quite satisfactory in
that part of the plate. In that case you have nothing to do but mark the
spot on the back of the plate with a pair of calipers, then lay the
plate on its face upon a block of polished steel, and give it two or
three blows with a hammer (mind that the hammer is rounded so as not to
indent the copper)."
[16] (p. 48.) The process here alluded to is the one used by Mr. Haden.
The mordant is the so-called Dutch mordant, and the manner of making it
is thus described by Mr. Hamerton:--
"First heat the water by putting the bottle containing it into a pan
also containing water, and keep it on the fire till that in the pan
boils. Now add the chlorate of potash, and see that every crystal of it
is dissolved. Shake the bottle to help the solution. When no more
crystals are to be seen, you may add the hydrochloric acid. Make a good
quantity of this mordant at once, so as always to have a plentiful
supply by you."
For a full account of the Haden process see Mr. Hamerton's "Etcher's
Handbook," or the second edition of his "Etching and Etchers."
This Dutch mordant is preferred to nitric acid by many etchers,--even
when working, not in the bath, but in the ordinary way, as taught by M.
Lalanne,--because it bites down into the copper, and hardly widens the
lines. "From my experience," writes Mr. Jas. D. Smillie, in a letter now
before me, "I unhesitatingly prefer the Dutch mordant for copper; it
bites a very fine black line, it is not so severe a trial to the ground,
and it does not need constant watching."
Mr. Smillie, however, uses the mordant much stronger than Mr. Haden. He
has, in fact, invented a process of his own, which, in a letter to me,
he describes as follows:--
"I draw and bite as I progress; that is, I draw in the darkest parts
first, give them a good nip with the mordant, wash the plate and dry it,
and then draw the next stage. I can thus, by drawing lines over a part
that has already been exposed to the mordant, interlace heavy and light
lines in a way that I could not by any other process. I etch upon an
unsmoked ground, and as the Dutch mordant bites a _black_ line, I see my
etching clearly as it advances, By holding the head well over the plate,
the lines can be very distinctly seen as they are drawn. After a little
experimenting, the etcher will find the angle at which he can see his
unbitten work upon an unsmoked ground without trouble. Mr. Hamerton's
formula seemed to me too weak, so I am experimenting with
Muriatic acid, 1 ounce.
Chlorate of potash, 1-5 "
Water, 5 ounces.
"This is the mordant I am now using, and I have found it to work well.
Still, as I am not a scientific chemist, and my knowledge is entirely
empiric, I am prepared to believe any chemist who may tell me that I
might do as well, or better, with more water.
"Generally I do not get all the color I wish by the first process, as I
can see without removing the ground; so, when my etching is finished, I
reverse the engine and begin stopping out and biting upon the original
ground, as it is ordinarily done. I do not use the black asphaltum
varnish for stopping out, but a transparent varnish that is simply
white resin dissolved in alcohol. If applied very carefully, and allowed
time to dry, it is perfectly clear and transparent, and the relations of
all parts of the plate can be seen,--the stopped out as well as the
bitten lines,--but to a careless worker it presents many troubles. It is
so transparent that it is hard to see what is stopped out and what is
not, and if washed with very warm water, or before it is thoroughly dry,
it turns cloudy and semi-opaque. I have no trouble with it, and could
not get along without it. I make it myself,--have no formula,--adding
alcohol until it is thin enough to flow readily from the brush. It has a
great advantage over asphaltum varnish, as it does not flow along a
line. It is viscid enough to remain just where it is put, and is as
perfect a protection as any asphaltum varnish."
Mr. Smillie heats his bath on the plate-warmer, but not to exceed 80 deg.,
or at most 90 deg. Such a bath of hot mordant acts much more quickly than
a cold acid bath, less than two minutes being sufficient for the lightest
lines.
[17] (p. 50.) Gravers are of different shapes, according to the nature
of the line which they are intended to produce. They are sometimes kept
at the hardware-stores, as, for instance, by A. J. Wilkinson & Co., 184
Washington St., Boston. This house also issues an illustrated catalogue
of engravers' tools.
[18] (p. 52.) M. Lalanne, it seems to me, does not do full justice to
zinc plates. Very delicate lines can be bitten on zinc if the acid is
sufficiently weakened. I have found that one part of nitric acid to
eight parts of water, used on zinc, is about equal to one-half acid and
one-half water, used on copper for about the same length of time. Zinc
plates can also be bought of Mr. Geo. B. Sharp, 45 Gold St., New York.
As to the length of edition that can be printed from a zinc plate, see
Note 27.
[19] (p. 52.) This is not strictly correct. The "maniere de crayon," as
practised by Demarteau and others, differs materially from soft-ground
etching. A ground was laid and smoked as usual, and on it the drawing
was produced, by a variety of instruments, such as points, some of them
multiple, the roulette, the mattoir, etc.
[20] (p. 55.) There is another method of getting what may be called a
proof, i. e. by taking a cast in plaster. Ink your plate and wipe it
clean, as described in Note 22, and then pour over it plaster-of-Paris
mixed with water. When the plaster has hardened it can easily be
separated from the plate, and the ink in the lines will adhere to it. To
make such a cast you must manage a rim around your plate, or you may lay
it into a paper box, face upward. Mix about half a tumbler full of water
(or more, according to the size of the plate) with double the quantity
of plaster, adding the plaster, little by little, and stirring
continually. When the mixture begins to thicken pour it on the plate,
and if necessary spread it over the whole of the surface by means of a
piece of wood or anything else that will answer. Then allow it to
harden.
[21] (p. 55.) The chafing-dish and the ball (or dabber) are now replaced
by the gas flame and the inking-roller in most printing establishments.
But if you desire to do your own proving, you will have to use a dabber,
the manner of making which is described in the next note.
[22] (p. 59.) If there is no plate-printer near you, but you have access
to a lithographic printing establishment, you can have your proofs taken
there. "Lithographic presses," says A. Potemont, "give perfectly good
and satisfactory proofs of etchings."
Not every printer can print an etching as it ought to be printed. A man
may be an excellent printer of line engravings and mezzotints, and yet
may be totally unfit to print an etching. I would recommend the
following printing establishments:--
New York: Kimmel & Voigt, 242 Canal Street. Boston: J. H. Daniels, 223
Washington Street.
If you desire to establish an amateur printing-office of your own you
will need, in addition to the tools and materials already in your
possession:--
A press,
A plate-warmer,
An ink-slab,
A muller,
A dabber or ball,
Rags for wiping,
Printing-ink,
Paper.
_The press._ The presses used by professional plate-printers will be
thought too large and too costly by most etchers. There is a small press
sold by Madame Ve. A. Cadart, 56 Boulevard Haussmann, Paris, of which a
representation is given on the next page.
This press, accompanied by all the necessary accessories,--rags, ink,
paper, plate-warmer, dabber, etc.,--sells in Paris at the price of 150
francs (about $30). There is an extra charge for boxing; and freight,
duties, etc., must also be paid for, extra, on presses imported to this
country. The publishers of this book are ready to take orders for these
presses, but I cannot inform the reader what the charges will amount to,
as no importations have yet been made by Messrs. Estes & Lauriat.
There is also a small press invented by Mr. Hamerton and made in London
by Mr. Charles Roberson, 99 Long Acre, which sells on the other side,
for the press only, at two guineas for the smallest, and four guineas
for a larger size. These presses are smaller than the Cadart presses,
and, according to Mr. Hamerton, are "very portable affairs, which an
etcher might put in his box when travelling, and use anywhere, in an
inn, in a friend's house, or even out of doors when etching from
nature."
A small press has also quite lately been introduced by Messrs. Janentzky
& Co., of Philadelphia, which costs only $16.50 (without accessories),
and is well recommended by those who have used it.
[Illustration]
The press is not complete without the flannels spoken of in the text (p.
56, Sec. 87). There is a kind of very thick flannel specially made for
printers' use. But if this cannot be had (of some plate-printer) any
good flannel with a piece of thick soft cloth over it will do well
enough.
In adjusting the press care must be taken that the pressure is neither
too great nor too small. This is a matter of experience.
_The plate-warmer_ is a box made of strong sheet-iron, into which either
a gas-jet or a small kerosene lamp can be introduced. If you happen to
have a gas-stove, and can get an iron plate of some kind to lay across
the top, you will have an excellent plate-warmer.
_The ink-slab._ Any _smooth_ slab of marble, slate, or lithographic
stone, about a foot square, will do.
_A muller._ This is a pestle of stone, flat at the bottom, used for
grinding colors or ink.
_A dabber or ball._ Take strips of thick cloth or flannel, about four or
five inches wide; roll them together as tightly as possible, until you
have a cylinder of two or three inches in diameter; bind firmly by
strong twine wound all around the cylinder; then cut one end with a
large sharp knife, so as to get a smooth surface. After the dabber has
been used for some time, and the ink has hardened in it, cut off another
slice so as to get a fresh surface.
_Rags for wiping._ Fine Swiss muslin and the fabric known as cheese
cloth make good rags for wiping. They can be bought at the dry-goods
stores. As they are charged with some material to make them stiff and
increase the weight, they must be washed before they are used. When they
have become too much charged with ink they may be boiled out in a
solution of potash or soda in water. The Swiss muslin costs about twelve
cents a yard, the cheese cloth about five.
I had a lot of rags specially sent to me from Paris, as I wished to see
the difference between the soft and the stiff muslin. The parcel
contained a collection of pieces of a sort of Swiss muslin, evidently
old curtains, and some pieces of old cotton shirting, some of which had
done duty at the Hotel des Invalides, still bearing its stamp!
_Printing-ink and paper._ (See Notes 23 and 24.)
To _ink the plate_, place it on the plate-warmer and allow it to become
as hot as your hand can bear. Then take up the ink from the ink-slab
with the dabber and spread it all over the surface, moving the dabber
along with a rocking motion, but not striking the plate with it. Take
care that the lines are well filled. Sometimes, in the first inking of
the plate, it is necessary to use the finger to force the ink into the
lines.
In _wiping the plate_ the first operation is to remove all the
superfluous ink from the surface by means of a rag. What follows depends
on the kind of impression you desire to get. If you want a _natural_,
_clean_, or _dry_ proof, as these impressions are variously called (i.
e. an impression which shows only black lines on a perfectly clear white
ground), charge the palm of your hand with a _very little_ whiting or
Spanish white, and with it finish the wiping of the plate. This
operation will leave the surface of the plate perfectly clean and
bright, while the ink remains in the lines. If you desire to have an
even tint left all over the plate, avoid the use of the hand, and wipe
with the rag only. Plate-printers use their rags moist, but for printing
etchings a dry rag is preferable, as it leaves more of a tint on the
plate. Note, also, that the rag must be tolerably well charged with ink
to enable you to wipe a good tint with it.
The margin of the plate, even if a tint is left over it, must always be
wiped clean. This is best accomplished by a bit of cotton cloth charged
with whiting.
For the rest, nothing is left but to experiment according to the hints
given in the text by M. Lalanne.
[23] (p. 59.) If you can, buy your ink of a plate-printer or of a
lithographer. That used by book-printers will _not_ do! The trouble is
that the ink used by ordinary plate-printers is of a disagreeably cold
cast, as it is mixed with blue. Etchings ought to be printed with a warm
black, and sometimes, especially in the case of somewhat over-bitten
plates, with an ink of a decidedly brownish hue. Inks are made of
linseed-oil varnish (i. e. linseed oil that has been boiled down or
burned), and the blacks mentioned in the text. There are various
qualities of varnish according to its consistency, varying from thin
through medium to stiff. If you wish to mix your own ink, you must try
to procure the materials of some plate-printer or lithographer. For
varnish use the medium, for black the Francfort. The burnt Sienna (which
you can buy at any paint-shop) is used only to warm up the black. Lay
some of the dry color on your ink-slab, add a very little of the
varnish, and mix with the muller. Then add more varnish until the ink
forms a tolerably stiff paste. The grinding must be carefully done, so
as to avoid grittiness. Besides, if the color is not thoroughly well
incorporated with the varnish, the ink will not stand. To preserve the
ink for future use, put it into some vessel with a cover, and pour water
over it. The water standing on top of the ink keeps it soft. Otherwise
the varnish would harden.
[24] (p. 60.) The heavy Dutch hand-made papers are still preferred by
most people for etchings; but it is very difficult, if not impossible,
to procure them in this country. The paper known as Lalanne charcoal
paper, which is likewise a hand-made paper, can be bought at the
artist's material stores. Good drawing-paper will also answer. The
worst, because most inartistic, of all, is the plain white plate paper.
The paper used for the etchings in the AMERICAN ART REVIEW, first made
especially for this journal according to my suggestions, has excellent
printing qualities, although, being a machine-made, unglued paper, it
lacks some of the characteristics of the Dutch hand-made paper. But its
texture is very good, and it takes up the ink even _better_ than the
Dutch papers.
Japanese paper can be procured of the firms named on page xiii.
Dry paper will not take a decent impression, and the sheets to be used
for printing must therefore be moistened. To prepare the ordinary paper,
take three or four sheets at a time, and pass them slowly through clean
water contained in a pail or other vessel. Wet as many sheets as you may
need, lay them on top of one another, place the pile between two boards,
and allow them to lie thus under tolerably heavy pressure for at least
twelve, or, better still, for twenty-four hours. The paper will then be
ready for use.
To prepare Japanese paper, lay each sheet between two wet sheets of
ordinary paper, and let it lie as before.
[25] (p. 60.) _Epreuves de remarque._ The _remarque_ usually consists in
leaving unfinished some little detail in an out-of-the-way corner of the
plate. After the _epreuves de remarque_ have been printed, this detail
is finished. A person who cannot tell a good impression from a bad one,
or does not know whether a plate is spoiled or still in good condition,
without some such extraneous sign, has slight claim to be considered a
connoisseur.
[26] (p. 62.) New York is, for the present, I believe, the only place
where steel-facing is done in America. I can recommend Mr. F. A.
Ringler, 21 and 23 Barclay Street, New York.
[27] (p. 62.) Zinc plates _can_ be steel-faced, but the facing cannot be
renewed, as it cannot be removed. The zinc plate on which Mr. Lansil's
little etching, given in this volume, is executed, was steel-faced. It
is feasible also, the electrotypers tell me, to deposit a thin coating
of copper on the zinc first, and then to superimpose a coating of steel.
In that case the steel-facing can be renewed as long as the
copper-facing under it remains intact.
LIST OF WORKS ON THE PRACTICE AND HISTORY OF ETCHING.[E]
[E] This list is very far from being complete, especially in the last
section, "Individual Artists." I have made a few additions, which have
been marked by an asterisk. Those who desire to pursue the subject
will find a very full bibliographical list in J. E. WESSELY'S
_Anleitung zur Kenntniss und zum Sammeln der Werke des Kunstdruckes_,
Leipzig, Weigel, 1876, p. 279 et seq.--_Translator._
A. TECHNICAL TREATISES.
_De la gravure en taille-douce, a l'eau-forte et au burin_, ensemble la
maniere d'en imprimer les planches et d'en construire la presse, par
ABRAHAM BOSSE. Paris, 1645.
_Traite des manieres de graver en taille-douce sur l'airain_ par le
moyen des eaux-fortes et des vernis durs et mols, par le s. ABRAHAM
BOSSE, augmente de la nouvelle maniere dont se sert M. LECLERC, graveur
du roi. Paris, 1701.
* _De la maniere de graver a l'eau-forte_ et au burin, et de la
gravure en maniere noir ... par ABRAHAM BOSSE. Nouvelle edition....
Paris, 1758. Small 8vo. Ill.
* _Die Kunst in Kupfer zu stechen_ sowohl mittelst des Aetzwassers als
mit dem Grabstichel ... durch ABRAHAM BOSSE.... Aus dem Franzoesischen
ins Deutsche uebersetzt. Dresden, 1765. Small 8vo. Ill.
_The Art of Graveing and Etching_, wherein is exprest the true Way of
Graveing in Copper; allso the Manner and Method of that famous Callot,
and M. Bosse, in their several Ways of Etching. Published by WILLIAM
FAITHORNE. London, 1662. 8vo. Ill.
_Idee de la gravure_, par M. DE M * * *. Without place or date. 12mo.
(This essay appeared originally in the "Mercure" for April, 1756, and
was afterwards printed separately. See, also, in the "Mercure" for 1755,
a notice, announcing the publication of a print by de Marcenay de Ghuy
after the elder Parrocel. This notice was also printed separately.)
_Idee de la gravure_ ... par M. DE MARCENAY DE GHUY. Paris, 1764. In-4
de 16 et 10 pag. (This is a second edition of the work last mentioned.)
* _Anleitung zur Aetzkunst_ ... nach eigenen praktischen Erfahrungen
herausgegeben von JOHANN HEINRICH MEYNIER. Hof, 1804. 8vo. Ill.
_Lectures on the Art of Engraving_, delivered at the Royal Institute of
Great Britain, by JOHN LANDSEER, Engraver to the King. London, 1807.
8vo.
_Three Lectures on Engraving_, delivered at the Surrey Institution in
the Year 1809, by ROBERT MITCHELL MEADOWS. London, 1811. 8vo.
_Manuel du graveur_, ou Traite complet de la gravure en tous genres,
d'apres les renseignements fournis par plusieurs artistes. Par A. M.
PERROT. Paris, 1830. In-18.
_Des mordants, des vernis et des planches dans l'art du graveur_, ou
Traite complet de la gravure. Par PIERRE DELESCHAMPS. Paris, 1836. In-8.
* _Vollstaendiges Handbuch der Gravirkunst_, enthaltend gruendliche
Belehrungen ueber die Aetzwaesser, die Aetzgruende, die Platten und die
Gravir-maschinen.... Von PET. DELESCHAMPS. Deutsch, mit Zusaetzen, von
Dr. CHR. H. SCHMIDT. Quedlinburg und Leipzig, Basse, 1838. Ill.
_The Art of Engraving_, with the various Modes of Operation.... By T. H.
FIELDING. London, 1844. 8vo. Ill.
_Lettre de Martial_ sur les elements de la gravure a l'eau-forte. Paris,
1864. (Etched on 4 fol. plates, illustrated.)
_Nouveau traite de la gravure a l'eau-forte_ a l'usage des peintres et
des dessinateurs, par A. P. MARTIAL. Paris, A. Cadart. 1873. Ill.
* _The Etcher's Handbook_: giving an Account of the Old Processes, and
of Processes recently discovered. By PHILIP GILBERT HAMERTON. London,
Roberson, 1871. Ill. (See also Mr. Hamerton's _Etching and Etchers_, 2d
edition.)
* _Mr. Seymour Haden on Etching._ Lectures delivered at the Royal
Institution, reports of which were published in "The Magazine of Art,"
1879, and in the London "Building News," 1879.
* _The Etcher's Guide._ By THOMAS BISHOP. Philadelphia, Janentzky,
1879. Ill.
_Grammaire des Arts du Dessin_, par CHARLES BLANC. In this work (of
which there is also an English translation), there is a special chapter
on Etching.
_Charles Jacque._ Articles by him on Etching in the "Magasin
pittoresque."
_Gravure._--Article extrait de l'Encyclopedie des arts et metiers.
In-fol, de 9 pag., fig.
B. HISTORICAL AND THEORETICAL.
* _Anleitung zur Kupferstichkunde._ VON ADAM VON BARTSCH. Wien, 1821.
2 vols. 8vo. Plates.
_Des types et des manieres des maitres graveurs_, pour servir a
l'histoire de la gravure en Italie, en Allemagne, dans les Pays-Bas et
en France, par JULES RENOUVIER. Montpellier, 1853-1856. 4 parties in-4.
_La gravure depuis son origine_, par HENRI DELABORDE. 1860. (These
articles appeared in the _Revue des Deux Mondes_ for Dec. 1 and 15,
1850, and Jan. 1, 1851.)
_Histoire de la gravure en France_, par GEORGES DUPLESSIS. Paris, 1861.
In-8. (This work was crowned by the French Institute [Academie des
beaux-arts].)
_Etching and Etchers._ By PHILIP GILBERT HAMERTON. London, Macmillan,
1868. 4to. Ill.
* _Etching and Etchers._ By PHILIP GILBERT HAMERTON. (Second edition.)
1876. London, Macmillan. Boston, Roberts Bros.
* _The Origin and Antiquity of Engraving_.... By W. S. BAKER. Boston,
Osgood, 1875. 4to. (Second edition. Ill.)
_La Gravure a l'eau-forte_, essai historique par RAOUL DE
SAINT-ARROMAN.--_Comment je devins graveur a l'eau-forte_, par le comte
LEPIC. Paris, Cadart, 1876.
* _Anleitung zur Kenntniss und zum Sammeln der Werke des
Kunstdruckes_, von J. E. WESSELY. Leipzig, Weigel, 1876. 8vo.
* _About Etching._ Part I. Notes by Mr. SEYMOUR HADEN on a Collection
of Etchings by the Great Masters.... Part II. An Annotated Catalogue of
the Etchings exhibited. 148 New Bond Street (London), 1879. (Second
edition, which has some additions.)
* _About Etching._ By SEYMOUR HADEN. Illustrated with an original
etching by Mr. Haden, and fourteen facsimiles from his collection.
Imperial 4to. London, The Fine Art Society, 1879.
C. CATALOGUES OF THE WORKS OF THE ARTISTS.
(_a._) DICTIONARIES.
_Le peintre-graveur_, par ADAM BARTSCH. Vienne, 1803-1821. 21 vol. in-8
et un atlas in-4.
* _Le peintre-graveur._ Par J. D. PASSAVANT. Leipzig, 1860. 6 vols.
8vo. (Continuation of Bartsch's work.)
_Le peintre-graveur francais_, ... par ROBERT DUMESNIL. Paris,
1835-1874. 11 vol. in-8.
_Le peintre-graveur francais continue_, par PROSPER DE BEAUDICOUR.
Paris, 1859. 2 vol. in-8.
* _Le peintre-graveur hollandais et flamand._ Par J. P. VAN DER
KELLEN. Utrecht, 1866. 4to. (Continuation of Bartsch's work.)
* _Le peintre-graveur hollandais et belge du XIX^e siecle._ Par T.
HIPPERT et JOS. LINNIG. Bruxelles, 1874 (first vol.) et seq. 8vo.
* _Der deutsche Peintre-graveur._ Von A. ANDRESEN. Leipzig, 1864, et
seq. 5 vols. 8vo.
* _Die Malerradirer des 19. Jahrhunderts._ Von A. ANDRESEN. Leipzig,
1866-1870. 4 vols. 8vo.
* _Die Malerradirer des 19. Jahrhunderts._ Von J. E. WESSELY. Leipzig,
1874. 8vo. (Continuation of Andresen's work.)
(_b._) INDIVIDUAL ARTISTS.
_Beredeneerde catalogus_ van alle de prenten van NICOLAAS BERGHEM ...
beschreven door HENDRICK DE WINTER. Amsterdam, 1767.
_Catalogue de l'oeuvre d'Abraham Bosse_, par GEORGES DUPLESSIS. Paris,
1859. In-8. (From the "Revue Universelle des Arts.")
_Eloge historique de Callot_, par le P. HUSSON. Bruxelles, 1766. In-4.
_A Catalogue and Description_ of the whole of the Works of the
celebrated JACQUES CALLOT ... by J. H. GREEN (attributed to CLAUSSIN).
1804. 12mo.
_Eloge historique de Callot_, par M. DESMARETZ. Nancy, 1828. In-8.
_Recherches_ sur la vie et les ouvrages de J. CALLOT, par E. MEAUME.
Paris, 1860. 2 vol. in-8.
_OEuvre de Claude Gelee_, dit le Lorrain, par le comte GUILLAUME DE L.
(LEPPEL). Dresde, 1806. In-8, fig. (For the engraved works of Claude
Lorrain, see also the "Peintre-graveur" of M. Robert Dumesnil, vol. i.,
and the "Cabinet de l'Amateur et de l'Antiquaire," by Eugene Piot, vol.
ii. pp. 433-466.)
_Eloge historique de Claude Gelee_, dit le Lorrain, par J. P. VOIART.
Nancy, 1839. In-8.
_A Description_ of the Works of the ingenious Delineator and Engraver,
WENCESLAUS HOLLAR, disposed into Classes of different Sorts; with some
Account of his Life. By G. VERTUE. London, 1745. 4to, Portr.
_De la gravure a l'eau-forte et des eaux-fortes de Charles Jacque._ By
CHARLES BLANC. In the "Gazette des Beaux Arts," vol. ix. p. 193 et seq.
_Les Johannot_, par M. CH. LENORMANT. Paris (1858). In-8. (From
Michaud's "Biographie universelle.")
* _Essay on Meryon, and a Catalogue of his Works_, by FREDERIC
WEDMORE. London, Thibaudeau, 1879. (Announced as about to be published.)
See also _Meryon and Meryon's Paris_, by F. WEDMORE, in the "Nineteenth
Century," for May, 1878.
* _P. Burty's Catalogue of the Etchings of Meryon_, revised from the
Catalogue in the "Gazette des Beaux Arts," and translated by Mr. M. B.
HUISH, is announced to be published by the London Fine-Art Society.
_M^e. O'Connell, Meissonier, Millet, Meryon, Seymour Haden._ Articles
on these etchers by PHILIPPE BURTY in the "Gazette des Beaux Arts."
_Catalogue raisonne_ des estampes gravees a l'eau-forte par GUIDO RENI,
par ADAM BARTSCH. Vienne, 1795. In-8.
_Catalogue raisonne_ de toutes les estampes qui forment l'oeuvre de
_Rembrandt_, ... par ADAM BARTSCH. Vienne, 1797. 2 vol. in-8.
_A Descriptive Catalogue of the Prints of Rembrandt_, by an Amateur
(WILSON). London, 1836. In-8.
_Rembrandt and his Works_, ... by JOHN BURNET. London, 1859. 4to. Ill.
_Rembrandt._ Discours sur sa vie et son genie, avec un grand nombre de
documents historiques, par le Dr. P. SCHELTEMA, traduit par A. WILLEMS.
Revu et annote par W. BURGER. Bruxelles, 1859. In-8. (From the "Revue
universelle des Arts.")
_L'OEuvre complet de Rembrandt_, remarquablement decrit et commente
par CHARLES BLANC. Paris, 1859. 3 vol. in-8.
* _Rembrandt Harmens van Rijn._ Ses precurseurs et ses annees
d'apprentissage. Par C. VOSMAER. La Haye, Nijhoff, 1863.
* _Rembrandt Harmens van Rijn._ Sa vie et ses oeuvres. Par C.
VOSMAER. La Haye, Nijhoff, 1868. (A second, revised edition appeared
some years ago.)
* _The Etched Works of Rembrandt._ A Monograph. By FRANCIS SEYMOUR
HADEN. With three plates and appendix. London, Macmillan, 1879. Medium
8vo.
* _Descriptive Catalogue_ of the Etched Works of _Rembrandt van Rhyn_.
With Life and Introduction. By C. H. MIDDLETON. Royal 8vo. London, 1879.
_Pictorial Notices_; consisting of a Memoir of _Sir Anthony van Dyck_,
with a Descriptive Catalogue of the Etchings executed by him.... By
WILLIAM HOOKHAM CARPENTER. London, 1844. 4to. Portrait.
* _The Works of the American Etchers._ In the "American Art Review."
TRANSCRIBER'S NOTES:
Obvious typos and inconsistencies corrected/standardised:
Bruxelle to Bruxelles,
Nitrid Acid to Nitric Acid,
i.e. to i. e.,
Societe des aqua-fortistes to Societe des Aqua-fortistes (as
elsewhere in text),
Epreuves to Epreuves (as elsewhere in text),
cardboard to card-board,
overbitten and over bitten to over-bitten,
travelling board to travelling-board (as elsewhere in text).
Other inconsistencies generally left as in original:
Zinc/zinc v Zink/zink,
facsimile v fac-simile,
nowadays v now-a-days,
India-rubber v india-rubber,
Rembrandt van Rhyn v Rembrandt van Rijn.
The oe-ligature (as in oeuvre) is represented as oe. Passages in italics
are surrounded by _underscores_. Likewise passages in bold are indicated
by =bold=. The carat character ^ is used to indicate superscripts (as in
Fig. 1^a).
Table of Contents: expanded (compared to original book) by including all
sections in the List of Works. Note that the section headed My Dear M.
Lalanne in the text is called Letter by M. Charles Leblanc in the Table
of Contents.
Plate IX and page xxiv: the writing on the plate is not very clear, but
the building is actually called the Waag, this has been used in the
text.
Footnotes (A, B, ...) moved to end of paragraph, endnotes (notes from
the translator, 1, 2, ...) left together in separate chapter, as in
original.