A treatise on wood engraving, historical and practical

Front matter

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Ses ARES

Chapter I. Antiquity .of Engraving, 1—51

PAGE

Initial letter A,—an ancient Greek ga on a tablet of wood, drawn by W. Harvey :

View of a eelbne presto on wood ge on copper, ahitceee the ditenea between a wood-cut and a copper-plate engraving when both are printed in the same manner - :

Back and front view of an ancient epuae Geen

Copy of an impression on a Babylonian brick

Roman stamp, in relief

Roman stamps, in intaglio

Monogram of Theodoric, king of the Ostrogoths . Monogram of Charlemagne

Gothic marks and monograms

Characters on Gothic coins

Mark of an Italian notary, 1236

Marks of German notaries, 1345—1521

English Merchants’-marks of the fourteenth and fifteenth c centuries

Tail-piece, illustrative of the antiquity of engraving,—Babylonian brick, Roman earthen-ware, Roman stamp, and a roll with the mark of the German Emperor Otho in the corner

Chapter II. Progress Of Wood Engraving, 52—144

Initial letter F, from an old book containing an alphabet of similar letters, engraved on wood, formerly belonging to Sir George Beaumont

‘St. Christopher, with the date 1423, from a cut in the possession of Earl Spencer : : :

The Annunciation, fon a cut probably of the same peat in enn possession of Earl Spencer : :

St. Bridget, from an old cut in the ste ci of Earl Shenest : .

Shields from the Apocalypse, or History of St. John, an old block-book

St. John preaching to the infidels, and baptising Drusiana, from the same book A

The death of the Two incite: and the miracles of PeGAeD from ihe same book . , ‘ ‘ ; : ‘ xX LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE Group from the History of the Virgin, an old block-book Na 89 Copy of a page of the same book . . . . 90 Figures and a shield of arms, from the same book : . 94 Shields of arms, from the same book : : : 96, 97 Copy of the first page of the Poor Preachers’ Bible, an old block-book 107 Heads from the same book ; : ° ~» 109 Christ tempted, a fac-simile of one of the compennyene in Ante first page of

the same book : : 110 Adam and Eve eating of the forbidden fruit, from the same boot 112 Esau selling his birth-right, ditto : : : . 113 Heads, ditto ; : : 114

First cut in the Speculum Salvationis, which has generally, but erroneously, been described as a block-book, as the text in the first edition is printed with types : . .

Fall of Lucifer, a fn simile of one et the sp aontinents of the teebetiae

The Creation of Eve, a fac-simile of the second compartment of the same

Paper-mark in the Alphabet of large letters composed of figures, formerly belonging to Sir George Beaumont Letter K, from the same book : . - : F ; Letter L, ditto : ‘ .

Letter Z, ditto. : ; ‘ : « : Flowered ornament, ditto . é : .

Cut from the Ars Memorandi, an old poe tea

Tail-piece, illustrative of the progress of wood engraving,—old looks of religious subjects, cards, graver, dauber, roller, used in taking impressions by means of friction, brushes and pot of colour used in colouring old cuts by means of a stencil ; : . ° : .

Chapter III. The Invention Of Typography, 145—200

Initial letter B, from a manuscript life of St. Birinus, of the twelfth century, Tail-piece,—portraits of Gutemberg, Faust, and Scheffer . :

Chapter IV. Wood Engraving In Connection With The Press, 201—278

Initial letter C, from Faust and Scheffer’s Psalter Apes, from a book of Fables printed at Bamburg by Albert Pfister, 1461

Heads, from an edition of the Poor Preachers’ Bible, geo by Pfister Christ and his Disciples, from the same . : . 5 Joseph making himself known to his Brethren, from the same . The Prodigal Son’s return, from the same ' F

The Creation of Animals, from Meditationes Joannis de Turre-cremata, printed at Rome, 1467 4 : . : &

A bomb-shell and a man shooting from a find of hander from Valturius de Re Militari, printed at Verona, 1472 : ‘

A man shooting from a cross-bow, from the same .

119 120 121

132 135 136 137 138 141

145 200

229 230

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. xi PAGE The Knight, from Caxton’s Book of Chess, about 1476 : ve 235 The Bishop’s pawn, from the same : 236 Two figures—Music, from Caxton’s Mirrour of the World, 1480 238 Frontispiece to Breydenbach’s Travels, printed at Mentz, 1486 252 Syrian Christians, from the same Q . : 254 Old Woman with a basket of eggs on her head, from the Horie senate printed at Mentz, 1491 . 256 Head of Paris, from the book ahet sie the Nitreiabens Chronicle printed at Nuremberg, 1493 258 Creation of Eve, from the same 262 The same subject from the Poor Drache Bible 263 The difficult Labour of Alcmena, from an Italian translation of Ovid's Metamorphoses, 1497 : . 264 Mars, Venus, and Mercury, from Poliphil Hypnerotomachi, priusedye at Venice, 1499 269 Cupid brought by Mcreiry before ore eae thie same 269 Cupid and his Victims, from the same 3 270 Bacchus, from the same 271 Cupid, from the same . 271 A Vase, from the same 22 Cat and Mouse, from a nipeoses old Ryaedecut anid in Derschias s Collection, 1808—1816 F - 275 Man in armour on horseback, from a id cut, eeroeaseely used by Mr. George Angus of Newcastle ' ‘ 277 Tail-piece — the press of Jodocus Badius yeast fai the title- lnake of a book printed by him about 1498 : . . 278 CHAPTER V.

WOOD ENGRAVING IN THE TIME OF ALBERT DURER, 279—388. Intial letter M, from an edition of Ovid’s Tristia, printed at Venice by J. de Cireto, 1499 279 Peasants dancing and reaaliatt frm cree ab liesice de Char 1806) painted at Paris by Simon Vostre about 1502. The first of these cuts occurs in a similar work — Heures a l’Usaige de Rome — printed by Simon Vostre in 1497 ; . ‘eo The woman clothed with the sun, bein miner Dees s illuetritions of the epocaly pee, 1498 ; 291 ’ The Virgin and Infant Christ, fos Albert Dare’ s fleaeneus of the History of the Virgin, 1511 ‘ : 295 The Birth of the Virgin, from the same work 296 St. Joseph at work as a carpenter, with the Virgin gocking the iting Christ in a cradle, from the same 298 Christ mocked, from Durer’s ‘Tlietntiowe of Christ’ s Baeen shen i511 299 The Last Supper, from the same . : : 300 Christ bearing his Cross, from the same 301 The Descent to Hades, from the same 302 Caricature, probably of Luther 324

Xil LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE Albert Durer’s Coat-of-arms : mg 28 His portrait, from a cut drawn by Bevel 1527, the year pieeadifg that of his death. : ; - 329 Holy Family, fbr a cut ae inca iy Lucas Catach : : . 335 Samson and Delilah, from a cut designed by Hans Burgmair : | oor Aristotle and his wife, from a cut designed by Hans Burgmair . 338 Sir Theurdank killing a bear, from the Adventures of Sir Theurdank, 1517 343 The punishment of Sir Theurdank’s enemies, from the same work . 844 A figure on horseback from the Triumphs of Maximilian . : - 356 Another, from the same work : : j 5 : yh gi f Ditto, ditto : : : F 3 ‘ 2 moos Ditto, ditto ; ; : . : ; { . 359 Ditto, ditto : ; | ; ; . 360 Ditto, ditto ; ’ ; . Pi) | Three knights with AOR, from the same work : ; - 363 Elephant and Indians, from the same . . 364 Camp followers, probably designed by Albert Dore, Fiori the same rr a65 Horses and Car, from the same . 3 i sf Jael and Sisera, from a cut designed by rece van ST aydee : 372 Cut printed at Antwerp by Willem de Figuersnider, probably copied oe a cut designed by Urse Graff ; 377 Three small cuts from Sigismund Fanti’s Teeipbo di Fortine: padvedie at Venice, 1527 : - 380 Fortuna di Africo, an aatlern of the South wind, fort thé saine WOH 381 Michael Angelo at work on a piece of sculpture, from the same . - 382 Head of Nero, from a work on Medals, printed at Strasburg, 1525 - 385 Tail-piece,—a full-length of Maximilian I. Emperor of Germany, from his Triumphs. : : ‘ : ! . : . 388

Chapter VI. Further Progress And Decline Of Wood Engraving, 389—528

Initial letter T, from a book printed at Paris by Robert Stephens, 1537 389 Adam and Eve eating the forbidden fruit, from a cut designed by Hans

Holbein in the Dance of Death, first printed at Lyons in 1538 : - 408 The Old Man, from the same work : ‘ ; ‘ - 410 The Duchess, from the same a : : . ; reat The Child, from the same ; ; ‘ A : 5 The Waggoner, from the same : f ; . 413 Child with a shield and dart, from the same ; : ; . 414 Children with the emblems of a triumph, from the same 415 Abraham about to sacrifice Isaac, from a cut designed by Holes in fe

Bible-prints, Lyons, 1539. ‘ ; : i : . 441 The Fool, from the same work : 442 Portrait of Sir Thomas Wyatt, from a cut designe by Holbein in iHetend*s

Prayer, from a cut designed by Holbein in Archbishop Cranmer’s Catechism, 1548 R ; E F , ; : ae A55

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

xii

PAGE

Christ casting out Devils, from another cut by Holbein, in the same work

The Creation, from the same work

The Crucifixion, from the same

Christ’s Agony, from the same :

Genealogical Tree, from an edition of Ag New iPeatament pinta at Zurich by Froschover, 1554

St. Luke, from Tindale’s Translation of the New Tegatient 1534

St. James, from the same . ‘

Death on the Pale Horse, from the same

Cain killing Abel, from Coverdale’s Preualanions of the Old aiid New

456 457 457 457

458 459 459 459

462 462 463 464 464 464

489 490

494 497

Testament, 1535 : :

Abraham about to sacrifice Isaac a the same

The Two Spies, from the same. : : : : :

St. Matthew, from the same

St. John the Baptist, from the same

St. Paul writing, from the same

Frontispiece to Marcolini’s Sorti, Ventas 1540, be Toston Pons Cathie ' ninus, after a Study by Raffaele for the School of Athens

Punitione, from the same work

Matrimony, and cards, from the same

Truth saved by Time, from the same é

The Labour of Alemena, from Dolce’s Tersornalont Weuiee: 1553

Monogram from Palatino’s Treatise on Writing, Rome, 1561 : .

Hieroglyphic Sonnet, from the same work

Portraits of Petrarch and Laura, from Petrarch’s Sonetti, ioe 1547

Adam and Eve driven out of Paradise, from Quadrins Historiques de la Bible, Lyons, 1550—1560 . : a é

Christ tempted by Satan, from Figures dn Nouveau Teaanient ievaies 1553—1570 = °

Briefmaler, from a fool of Tides and Bicfessionsie Frankfort, 1564 —1574

Formschneider, ae ee same

The Goose Tree, from Sebastian Munster’ s Cosmgraphy, Basle; 1550 —1554 . . ° . .

William Tell about to eet at the apple on his son’s head, from ss same

Portrait of Dr. William Cuningham, from a i lo arian Glass, London, 1559 : ;

Four initial letters, from the same OR : : : ‘607, 508,

‘Large initial letter, from Fox’s Acts and Monuments, 1576 :

Initial letter from a work printed by Giolito at Venice, about 1550

Two Cats from an edition of Dante, printed at Venice, 1578 ‘ j123

Emblem of Water, from a chiaro-scuro by Henry Goltzius, about 1590

Caricature of the Laocoon, after a cut designed by Titian .

The Good Householder, from a cut printed at London, 1607

Virgin and Christ, from a cut designed by ar bas and engraved by Clinie: topher Jegher :

The Infant Christ and Soha the Eaptct fon a cut designed ¥ he and engraved by Christopher Jegher : ; :

X1V LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE

Jael and Sisera, from a cut designed by geek Goltzius, and engraved by C. Van Sichem

Tail-piece, from an old cut on the ‘title. te of ‘i first awe eiliniba of

Robin Hood’s Garland, 1670 j : ‘ 4

Chapter VII. Revival Of Wood Engraving, 529—634

Initial letter A, from a French book, 1698 Fox and Goat, from a copper-plate by S. Le Clerc, about 1694 The same subject from Croxall’s Aisop’s Fables, 1722.

The same subject from Bewick’s Fables, 1818—1823 ¢

English wood-cut with the mark F.H., London, 1724. -

Adam naming the animals, copy of a cut by Papillon, 1734 : :

The Poet’s Fall, from Two Odes in ridicule of Gray and Mason, London, 1760 : .

Initial letters, T. ead Bs : comndosed by J. ee fois atlepiouss in Bewick’s History of British Birds

The house in which Bewick was born, drawn by a ican :

The Parsonage at Ovingham, drawn by George Balmer . .

Fac-simile of a diagram palit by Bewick in Hutton’s Motsuratiols 1768—1770 .

The Old Hound, a facgmile of a.cut by Bewick! 1775

Cuts copied by Bewick from Der Weiss Kunig, and illustrations of pvds Metamorphoses by Virgil Solis :

Boys and Ass, after Bewick : :

Old Man and Horse, ditto : 5 : : Child and young Horse, ditto : 4 ° : : Ewe and Lamb, ditto ‘ : . ; : Old Man and young we ditto . ; , : .

Partridge, ditto . - , : .

Woodcock, ditto :

The drunken Miller, ditto

The Snow Man, ditto : : 4 A

Old Man and Cat, ditto . - ‘ é

The World turned upside down, ditto

Cuts commemorative of the decease of Bewick’s father re mother fro his Fables, 1818—1823 ‘

Bewick’s Workshop, drawn by Geaes Balmer Portrait of Bewick = - View of Bewick’s Burial-place . : °

Funeral, View of Ovingham Church, drawn by J. J ackued

The Sad Historian, from a cut by John Bewick, in Poems by Goldsmith and Parnell, 1795 ,

Fac-simile of a cut by John Bewidin stat Btossoty of Morality

Copy of a cut engraved by C. Nesbit, from a drawing by R. Johnson

View of a monument erected to the memory of R. Johnson, against the south wall of Ovingham Church

529 534 534 535 537 545

559 559 560

563 564

598 601 602 603 604

608 609 611

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS, XV

PAGE Copy of a view of St. Nicholas Church, engraved by C. Nesbit, from a drawing by R. Johnson i 613 Copy of the cut for the Diploma of the Heklend ee enecated by i Clennell, from a drawing by Benjamin West, P. R.A. - : - 618 Bird and Flowers, engraved by L. Clennell, when insane : - 621 Cut from the Children in the Wood, drawn by W. Harvey, and engraved by J. Thompson 626 Cut from the Blind Bosch of Bethnal Green, drain by: W. Harve: ee engraved by C. Nesbit : : fe627 Copy of a part of the Cave of Tesoate paced by R. Bcaietors from a drawing by J. Thurston ; : : é : : 629 Bird, engraved by R. Branston. : . 630 Three cuts intended for an edition of ‘Seléee Fables; detinasad by R. Branston. 631 Copy of one of the plates of Hegarthts Rake’s Peodredss Mates by i Thompson . : - 633 Talhibce 2 Teavellet in the Siow} Brctavick by THonias Bevel . 634

Chapter VIII. The Practice Of Wood Engraving, 635—736

Initial letter P, showing a wood engraver at work, with his lamp and globe, drawn by R. W. Buss ‘ : . . ; » 635 Diagram, showing a block aarnedd . . - 642 Cut showing the appearance of a nea in the Etieratis drawn by J.

Jackson 3 - 646 Diagrams irateative of the mode of répaitee a oak by pling . 647 Cut-showing a plug re-engraved . , * 648 Diagram showing the mode of pulling the site over the corner of the

block : . : » (649 The shade for the ee ana sereen for the mouth and nose : 651 Engraver’s lamp, glass, globe, and sand-bag , : ‘ - 652 Graver. : - ; ; : F : - 653 Diagram of gravers 2 : : : : - - 654 Diagrams of tint-tools, &c. é : ‘ : ; - 655 Diagrams of gouges, chisels, &c. . : : 3 : - 656 Gravers . : : 3 Oot Cuts showing dhe manner of boing the bratr : : : - 658 Examples of tints 4 : : 659, 660, 664, 662, 663 Examples of curved lines and tints : 3 j 664, 665 Cuts illustrative of the mode of cutting a white diltiine : : 667, 668 Outline engraving previous to its being blocked out—the monument to the

memory of two children in Lichfield Cathedral by Sir F. Chantrey . . 669 The same subject finished ‘ : 670

Outline engraving, after a design by Flaxtnat for a nuff: ti for George IV. 670

Cut after a pen-and-ink sketch by Sir David Wilkie for his picture of the Rabbit on the Wall : : : : amor

Figures from a sketch by George Morland : ‘ \ Ra aie

Xvi LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS.

PAGE Group from Sir David Wilkie’s Rent Day : : : - 674 Figure of a boy from Hogarth’s Noon, one of the engravings of his Four Parts of the Day. . . . , - -675 A Hog, after an etching by Ranbeands : : ; cy 70 676 Dray-horse, drawn by James Ward, R.A. : ‘ : - 677 Jacob blessing the Children of J ital after Rembrandt . : - 678 Two cuts—View of a Road-side Inn—showing the advantage of cutting the tint before the other parts of a subject are engraved - : . 679 Head, from an etching by Rembrandt “ 5 680 Impression from a cast of part of the Death of Detitatus, Sibrayee by W. Harvey : - (682 Christ and the Woinan at the Well, conte an cone by Reuiendt . 684 The Flight into Egypt, from an etching by Rembrandt. 7 OCT Sea-piece, drawn by George Balmer j ; ‘ : . 688 Sea-piece, moonlight, drawn by George Balmer . ‘ . . 689 Landscape, evening, drawn by George Balmer. . 690 Impression from a cast of part of the Death of Dentatus, eared by W. Harvey : : : - 692 View of Rouen Cathedral, ashen by William Peer ; 693 Map of England and Wales, with the part of the names eoariredi. on ood, and part inserted intype . : . : - 695 Group from Sir David Wilkie’s Village Festival , * 697 Natural Vignette, and an old ornamented capital from a aarnseene of the thirteenth century . 699 Impressions from a arfaae with the cack in igh ~anbjee, the Granns piece of George IV. ; . : - 700 Impressions from a surface with the SESE in ‘atshlio —same subject . 701 Shepherd’s Dog, drawn by W. Harvey. : : é . 703 Egret, drawn ne W. Harvey : : - 704 Winter-piece, with an ass and her foal, nae by J. Fackson : 2705 Salmon-Trout, with a view of Bywell-Lock, drawn by J. Jackson - 706 Boy and Pony, drawn by J. Jackson ; , ; . . 707 Heifer, drawn by W. Harvey : : - 708 Descent from the Cross, after an etching by pee Bee slr when the block is merely lowered previous to engraving the subject ‘ - 709 Descent from the Cross,—impression from the finished cut ‘ 710

Parsonage at Ovingham, engraved in chiaro-scuro, and printed in ils colours, by George Baxter, after a drawing by Edward Swinburne, Esq. » 713 A Café in Constantinople, and a Design for a Pattern, two of “ Mr. Knight’s

Patent Illuminated Prints” . . Sey Aa) Copies of an ancient bust in the: British MiuseanweNos A printed from a

wood-cut, and No.2 fromacast . : - 723 Horse and Ass, drawn by J. J ack sense Ami Geonee rinted : © 725 Same subject, properly printed : » 726 Landscape, drawn by George Balmer,—impropeny veiled : er 28 Same subject, properly printed. ‘ : . - 729

Tail-piece, drawn by C. Jacques . ; : 5 ; . 738

ON

WOOD ENGRAVING.

Chapter I. Antiquity Of Engraving

Encravinc—the word explained.—The Art defined.— Distinction between Engraving on Copper and on Wood. — Early practice of the Art of impressing characters by means of Stamps instanced in Babylonian Bricks; Fragments of Egyptian and Etruscan Earthenware ; Roman Lamps, Tiles, and Amphore. —The Cauterium or Brand.—Principle of Stencilling known to the Romans. —Royal Signatures thus affixed.—Practice of Stamping Monograms on Documents in the Middle Ages.—Notarial Stamps.—Merchants’-Marks.—Coins, Seals, and Sepulchral Brasses.— Examination of Mr. Ottley’s Opinions concerning the Origin of the Art of Wood Engraving in Europe, and its early practice by two wonderful children, the Cunio.

S few persons know, even amongst those who profess to be admirers of the art of Wood Engraving, by what means its effects, as seen in books and single im pressions, are produced, and as a yet smaller number understand in what manner it specifically differs im its procedure from the art of engraving on copper or steel, it appears necessary, before entering into any historic detail of its progress, to premise a few observations explanatory of the word Eneravine in its general acceptation, and more particularly descriptive of that branch of the art which several persons B affect to call Xylography; but which is as clearly expressed, and much more generally understood, by the term Woop EnGravine.

The primary meaning of the verb “to engrave” is defined by Dr. Johnson, “to picture by incisions in any matter;” and he derives it from the French “engraver.” The great lexicographer is not, however, quite correct in his derivation; for the French do not use the verb “engraver” in the sense of “to engrave,” but to signify a ship or a boat being embedded in sand or mud so that she cannot float. The French synonym of the English verb “to engrave,” is “graver;” and its root is to be found in the Greek ypagw, (grapho, I cut,) which, with its compound enrypaga, according to Martorelli, as cited by Von Murr,* is always used by Homer to express cutting, incision, or wounding; but never to express writing by the superficial tracing of characters with a reed or pen. From the circumstance of laws, in the early ages of Grecian history, being cut or engraved on wood, the word ypagw came to be used in the sense of, “I sanction, or I pass a law;” and when, in the progress of society and the improvement of art, letters, instead of being cut on wood, were indented by means of a skewershaped instrument on wax spread on tablets of wood or ivory, or written by means of a pen or reed on papyrus or on parchment, the word ypag¢w, which in its primitive meaning signified “to cut,” became expressive of writing generally.

From ypadw is derived the Latin scribo,+ “I write;” and it is worthy of observation, that “ to scrive,’—most probably from scribo, —signifies, in our own language, to cut numerals or other characters on timber with a tool called a scrive: the word thus passing, as it were, through a circle of various meanings and in different languages, and at last returning to its original signification.

Under the general term Scutprure—the root of which is to be found in the Latin verb sculpo, “1 cut”—have been classed copper-plate engraving, wood engraving, gem engraving, and carving,

5 C. G. Von Murr, in his Journal zur Kunstgeschichte, 2 Theil, S. 253, referring to Martorelli, De Regia Theca Calamaria.

+ If this etymology be correct, the English Scrivener and French Greffier may be related by descent as well as professionally ; both words being thus referable to the same origin, the Greek ypagw. The modern Writer in the Scottish courts of law performs the duties both of Scrivener and Greffier, with whose name his own is synonymous. ,

ENGRAVING. Bi:

as well as'the art of the statuary or figure-cutter in marble, to which art the word sculpture is now more strictly applied, each of those arts requiring in its process the act of cutting of one kind or other. In the German language, which seldom borrows its terms of art from other languages, the various modes of cutting in sculpture, in copper-plate engraving, and in engraving on wood, are indicated in the name expressive of the operator or artist. The sculptor is named a dildhauer, from bild, a statue, and hauen, to hew, indicating the operation of cutting with a mallet and chisel; the copper-plate engraver is called a hupfer-stecher, from hupfer, copper, and stechen, to cut with the point; and the wood engraver is a holzschneider, from holz, wood, and schneiden, to cut with the edge.

It is to be observed, that though both the copper-plate engraver and the’ wood engraver may be said to cut in a certain sense, as well as the sculptor and the carver, they have to execute their work reversed,—that is, contrary to the manner in which impressions from their plates or blocks are seen; and that in copying a painting or a drawing, it requires to be reversely transferred,—a disadvantage under which the sculptor and the carver do not labour, as they copy their models or subjects direct.

ENGRAVING, as the word is at the present time popularly used, and considered in its relation to the pictorial art, may be defined to be—“ The art of representing objects on metallic substances, or on wood, expressed by lines and points produced by means of corrosion, incision, or excision, for the purpose of their being impressed on paper by means of ink or other colouring matter.”

The impressions obtained from engraved plates of metal or from blocks of wood are commonly called engravings, and sometimes prints. Formerly the word cuts* was applied indiscriminately to impressions, either from metal or wood; but at present it is more strictly confined to the productions of the wood engraver. Impressions from copper-plates only are properly called plates; though it is not unusual for persons who profess to review productions of art, to speak of a book containing, perhaps, a number of indifferent woodcuts, as “a work embellished with a profu-

* Towards the close of the seventeenth century we find books “adorned with sculptures by a curious hand ;” about 1730 we find them “ ornamented with cuts ;” at present they are “ illustrated with engravings.”

B?

sion of the most charming plates on wood;” thus affording to every one who is in the least acquainted with the art at once a specimen of their taste and their knowledge.

Independent of the difference of the material on which copper-plate engraving and wood engraving are executed, the grand distinction between the two arts is, that the engraver on copper corrodes by means of aqua-fortis, or cuts out with the burin or dry-point, the lines, stipplings, and hatchings from which his impression is to be produced; while, on the contrary, the wood engraver effects his purpose by cutting away those parts which are to appear white or colourless, thus leaving the lines which produce the impression prominent.

In printing from a copper or steel plate, which is previously warmed by being placed above a charcoal fire, the ink or colouring matter is rubbed into the lines or incisions by means of a kind of ball formed of woollen cloth; and when the lines are thus sufficiently charged with ink, the surface of the plate is first wiped with a piece of rag, and is then further cleaned and smoothed by the fleshy part of the palm of the hand, slightly touched with whitening, being once or twice passed rather quickly and lightly over it. The plate thus prepared is covered with the paper intended to receive the engraving, and is subjected to the action of the rolling or copper-plate printer’s press; and the impression is obtained by the paper being pressed into the inked incisions.

As the lines of an engraved block of wood are prominent or in relief, while those of a copper-plate are, as has been previously explained, intagliate or hollowed, the mode of taking an impression from the former is, so far as relates to the process of inking, precisely the reverse of that which has just been described. The usual mode of taking impressions from an engraved block of wood is by means of the printing-press, either from the block separately, or wedged up in a chase with types. The block is inked by being beat with the pressman’s balls or roller, in the same manner as type; and the paper being turned over upon it from the ¢ympan, it is then run in under the platten ; which bemg acted on by the lever, presses the paper on ¢o the raised lines of the block, and thus produces the impression. Impressions from wood are thus obtained by the on-pression of the paper against the raised or prominent lines; while impressions from copper-plates are obtained by the in-pression of the paper into hollowed ones. In consequence of this difference in the process, the inked lines impressed on paper from a copper-plate appear prominent when viewed direct; while the lines communicated from an engraved wood-block are indented in the front of the impression, and appear raised at the back.

The above impressions—the one from a wood-block, and the other from an etched copper-plate—will perhaps render what has been already said, explanatory of the difference between copper-plate printing from hollowed lines, and surface printing by means of the common press from prominent lines, still more intelligible. ‘The subject is a representation of the copper-plate or rolling press.