More Art Zones
|
The copper engraving (in contrast to the woodcut) is based on an intaglio process. The drawing is engraved on a copper plate, exactly as ornament had been engraved on armour, jewellery, etc., for centuries. The plate is then coated with printer's ink, which will cling to the incised lines when the plate is wiped clean. If the plate is then placed on a piece of dampened paper and put into a press, the paper will soak in the colour and the print will be ready. The plate is held against a leather cushion in the course of engraving and the burin is pushed forward very firmly, so as to bring out curved lines with sure strokes. The degree of pressure executed by the hand will determine the thickness of line. The burr of metal turned up in the course of the work must be carefully scraped off before making a trial print. The plate can then be corrected and further prints made, each being slightly different from the other (first state, second state, etc.).
Such prints are valued by collectors and are called avant-la-lettre, since they were made before the artist finally signed the plate. The signed print is called après-la-lettre. Design, drawing, engraving and print can all come from different hands. This applies especially in the case of engravings based on paintings. The name of the 'inventor' is followed by the letters 'inv.', that of the draughtsman by 'del.' (Latin, delineavit -- drawn), and the engraver's name by 'sc.' (sculpsit -- engraved). Sometimes we also find the publisher's name preceded by 'exc.' (excudit -- printed). If design and engraving are the work of one man, we speak of a peintre graveur.
The first engravings on copper date from shortly after 1400, soon after the invention of paper in Europe. The greatest engraver of all time was Albrecht Dürer. After his day, several variants of the copper engraving were invented, such as the stipple engraving (16th cent.), for which the artist uses a small punch in place of the burin. The mezzotint is an invention of the 17th century. Here the plate is scored all over with a roulette or mezzotint rocker, a steel tool with sharp teeth along its curved edge. The light areas of the drawing are then scraped out and smoothed, so as not to show on the print. Coloured prints, obtained by using several plates, enjoyed great popularity in the 18th century especially in England. The steel engraving replaced the copper print in the 19th century, since it could be produced in greater numbers. The true copper print has generally been superseded by the etching since the 17th century.
|
 |
RSS Feed XML Sitemap HTML Sitemap Contact Us Privacy Policy
