,a ,,treatise ,,on ,,etching4 ,amongst ,frenchmen ,claude is the best landscape etcher of past days1 and ,lalanne the best of the present day4--,p4 ,g4 ,,hamerton4 ,illustration3 ,frontispiece ,a ,,treatise ,,on ,,etching4 ,,text ,,and ,,plates ,,by ,,maxime ,,lalanne4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,authorized ,,edition1 ,,translated ,,from ,,the ,,second ,,french ,,edition ,,by ,s4 ,r4 ,,koehler4 ,,with ,,an ,,introductory ,,chapter ,,and ,,notes ,,by ,,the ,,translator4 99 99 99 99 99 ,,boston3 ,,estes ,,and ,,lauriat1 ,publishers4 ,copyright1 ,,by ,,estes ,,and ,,lauriat4 #ahhj4 ,,university ,,press3 ,,john ,,wilson ,,and ,,son1 ,,cambridge4 ,,translator',s ,,preface4 ,so much interest has of late years been shown in ,england in the art of etching1 that it seems hardly necessary to apologize for bringing out an ,english edition of a work on the subject from the pen of an artist whom a weighty ,english authority has pronounced to be the best ,french landscape-etcher of the day4 ,it might be urged1 indeed1 that more than enough has already been written concerning the technical as well as the aesthetic side of etching4 ,but this objection is sufficiently met by the statement of the fact that there is no other work of the kind in which the processes involved are described in so plain and lucid a manner as in ,m4 ,lalanne's admirable ,traite de la ,gravure a l',eau-forte4 ,in the laudable endeavor to be complete1 most of the similar books now extant err in loading down the subject with a complicated mass of detail which is more apt to frighten the beginner than to aid him4 ,m4 ,lalanne's ,treatise1 on the contrary1 is as simple as a good work of art4 ,it may1 however1 be incumbent upon me to offer a few words of excuse concerning my own connection with the bringing out of this translation2 for1 at first sight1 it will1 no doubt1 appear the height of presumption1 especially on the part of one who is not himself a practising artist1 to add an introductory chapter and notes to the work of a consummate master on his favorite art4 ,but what ,i have done has not1 in any way1 been dictated by the spirit of presumption4 ,the reasons which induced me to make the additions may be stated as follows4 ,it is a most difficult feat for one who has thoroughly mastered an accomplishment1 and has practised it successfully for a lifetime1 to lower himself to the level of those who are absolutely uninformed4 ,a master is apt to forget that he himself had to learn certain things which1 to him1 seem to be self-evident1 and he therefore takes it for granted that they are self-evident4 ,a practised etcher thinks nothing of handling his acid1 grounding and smoking his plate1 and all the other little tricks of the craft which1 to a beginner1 are quite worrying and exciting4 ,it seemed to me best1 therefore1 to acquaint the student with these purely technical difficulties1 without complicating his first attempts by artistic considerations1 and hence the origin of the ,introductory ,chapter4 ,very naturally ,i was compelled1 in this chapter1 to go over much of the ground covered by the ,treatise itself4 ,but the diligent student1 who remembers that ,repetition is the mother of learning1 will not look upon the time thus occupied as wasted4 ,the notes are1 perhaps1 still more easily explained4 ,m4 ,lalanne very rarely stops to inform his reader how the various requisites may be made4 ,writing1 as he did1 at and for ,paris1 there was1 indeed1 no reason for thus encumbering his book2 for in ,paris the ,veuve ,cadart is always ready to supply all the wants of the etcher4 ,for a ,london reader1 ,mr4 ,charles ,roberson1 of #ii ,long ,acre1 whom ,mr4 ,hamerton has so well--and very properly--advertised1 is ready to perform the same kind office4 ,but for those who live away from the great centres of society1 it may oftentimes be necessary either to forego the fascinations of etching1 or else to provide the materials with their own hands4 ,for the benefit of such persons1 ,i have thought it advisable to describe1 in the notes1 the simplest and cheapest methods of making the tools and utensils which are needed in the execution of ,m4 ,lalanne's precepts4 ,by the arrangement of the paragraphs which ,i have ventured to introduce1 ,m4 ,lalanne's pleasant little book has1 perhaps1 lost something of its vivacity and freshness1 especially in the fifth chapter4 ,but this dull1 methodical order will be found1 ,i hope1 to add to the convenience of the work as a book of reference1 which1 according to ,m4 ,lalanne's own statement1 is1 after all1 its main object4 ,it is due to the ,english public to say1 that the additions were originally written for the ,american edition of this book1 published by ,messrs4 ,estes ,lauriat1 of ,boston1 ,mass4 ,to free them from the ,american character which they very naturally bear1 would have necessitated the resetting of a great part of the work1 and a consequent increase in its cost4 ,it has been deemed advisable1 therefore1 to leave the whole of the text in its original condition1 more especially as the changes are such that they can easily be supplied by the reader1 and do not in the least affect the value of the information conveyed4 ,s4 ,r4 ,,koehler4 ,,beech ,,glen ,,avenue1 ,,roxbury1 ,,boston1 ,july1 #ahhj4 ,,contents4 ,,page ,,translator',s ,,preface v ,,introductory ,,chapter4--,,the ,,technical ,,elements ,,of ,,etching xiii ,paragraph #a4 ,definition of ,etching xiii #b4 ,requisites xiv #c4 ,grounding the ,plate xviii #d4 ,smoking the ,plate xviii #e4 ,points or ,needles xix #f4 ,drawing on the ,plate xix #g4 ,preparing the ,plate for the ,bath xx #h4 ,the ,bath xx #i4 ,biting and ,stopping ,out xx ,,description ,,of ,,the ,,plates xxiii ,,letter ,,by ,m4 ,,charles ,,blanc xxv ,,introduction 7by the ,author7 #a ,,chapter ,i4 ,,definition ,,and ,,character ,,of ,,etching4 ,paragraph #a4 ,definition #c #b4 ,knowledge needed by the ,etcher #c #c4 ,manner of using the ,needle4--,character of ,lines #d #d4 ,freedom of ,execution #d #e4 ,how to produce ,difference in ,texture #e #f4 ,the ,work of the ,acid #e #g4 ,the ,use of the ,dry ,point #e #h4 ,spirit in which the ,etcher must work #e #i4 ,expression of ,individuality in ,etching #f #aj4 ,value of ,etching to ,artists #f #aa4 ,versatility of ,etching #g #ab4 ,etching compared to other ,styles of ,engraving #g #ac4 ,etching as a ,reproductive ,art #g ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,tools ,,and ,,materials4--,,preparing ,,the ,,plate4--,,drawing ,,on ,,the ,,plate ,,with ,,the ,,needle4 #ad4 ,method of using this ,manual #i ,a4 ,tools and ,materials4 #ae4 ,list of ,tools and ,materials needed #i #af4 ,quality and ,condition of ,tools and ,materials #aj ,b4 ,preparing the ,plate4 #ag4 ,laying the ,ground1 or ,varnishing #ab #ah4 ,smoking #ac ,c4 ,drawing on the ,plate with the ,needle4 #ai4 ,the ,transparent ,screen #ad #bj4 ,needles or ,points #ad #ba4 ,temperature of the ,room #ae #bb4 ,the ,tracing #af #bc4 ,reversing the ,design #af #bd4 ,use of the ,mirror #ag #be4 ,precautions to be observed while ,drawing #ag #bf4 ,directions for ,drawing with the ,needle #ag ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,biting4 #bg4 ,bordering the ,plate #bj #bh4 ,the ,tray #bj #bi4 ,strength of the ,acid #bj #cj4 ,label your ,bottles6 #ba #ca4 ,the ,first ,biting #ba #cb4 ,the ,use of the ,feather #bb #cc4 ,stopping ,out #bb #cd4 ,effect of ,temperature on ,biting #bb #ce4 ,biting continued #bc #cf4 ,treatment of the various ,distances #bc #cg4 ,the ,creve4--,its ,advantages and ,disadvantages #bd #ch4 ,means of ascertaining the ,depth of the ,lines #bd #ci4 ,the ,rules which govern the ,biting are subordinated to various ,causes #be #dj4 ,strong ,acid and ,weak ,acid #be #da4 ,strength of ,acid in relation to certain ,kinds of ,work #bf #db4 ,last ,stages of ,biting #bg ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,finishing ,,the ,,plate4 #dc4 ,omissions4--,insufficiency of the ,work so far done #bi #dd4 ,transparent ,ground for ,retouching #bi #de4 ,ordinary ,ground used for ,retouching4--,biting the ,retouches #cj #df4 ,revarnishing with the ,brush #ca #dg4 ,partial ,retouches4--,patching #ca #dh4 ,dry ,point #cb #di4 ,use of the ,scraper for removing the ,bur thrown up by the ,dry ,point #cc #ej4 ,reducing ,over-bitten ,passages #cc #ea4 ,the ,burnisher #cc #eb4 ,charcoal #cd #ec4 ,the ,scraper #ce #ed4 ,hammering ,out 7,repoussage7 #ce #ee4 ,finishing the ,surface of the ,plate #ce ,,chapter ,v4 ,,accidents4 #ef4 ,stopping-out ,varnish dropped on a ,plate while ,biting #cg #eg4 ,revarnishing with the ,roller for ,rebiting #cg #eh4 ,revarnishing with the ,roller in ,cases of ,partial ,rebiting #ch #ei4 ,revarnishing with the ,dabber for ,rebiting #ci #fj4 ,revarnishing with the ,brush for ,rebiting #ci #fa4 ,rebiting a ,remedy only #ci #fb4 ,holes in the ,ground #ci #fc4 ,planing out ,faulty ,passages #dj #fd4 ,acid ,spots on ,clothing #da #fe4 ,reducing ,over-bitten ,passages and ,creves #da ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,difference ,,between ,,flat ,,biting ,,and ,,biting ,,with ,,stopping ,,out4 #ff4 ,two ,kinds of ,biting #dc #fg4 ,flat ,biting4--,one ,point #dd #fh4 ,flat ,biting4--,several ,points #dd #fi4 ,biting with ,stopping ,out4--,one ,point #dd #gj4 ,biting with ,stopping ,out4--,several ,points #dd #ga4 ,necessity of ,experimenting #de #gb4 ,various other ,methods of ,biting #de ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,recommendations ,,and ,,auxiliary ,,processes4--,,zink ,,and ,,steel ,,plates4--,,various ,,theories4 ,a4 ,recommendations and ,auxiliary ,processes4 #gc4 ,the ,roulette #di #gd4 ,the ,flat ,point #di #ge4 ,the ,graver or ,burin #di #gf4 ,sandpaper #ej #gg4 ,sulphur ,tints #ej #gh4 ,mottled ,tints #ea #gi4 ,stopping-out before all ,biting #ea ,b4 ,zink ,plates and ,steel ,plates4 #hj4 ,zink ,plates #eb #ha4 ,steel ,plates #eb ,c4 ,various other ,processes4 #hb4 ,soft ,ground ,etching #eb #hc4 ,dry ,point ,etching #ec #hd4 ,the ,pen ,process #ed ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,proving ,,and ,,printing4 #he4 ,wax ,proofs #ee #hf4 ,the ,printing-,press #ee #hg4 ,natural ,printing #ef #hh4 ,artificial ,printing #ef #hi4 ,handwiping with ,retroussage #eg #ij4 ,tinting with a ,stiff ,rag #eg #ia4 ,wiping with the ,rag only #eh #ib4 ,limits of ,artificial ,printing #eh #ic4 ,printing ,inks #ei #id4 ,paper #ei #ie4 ,epreuves ,volantes #fj #if4 ,proofs before ,lettering #fj #ig4 ,epreuves de ,remarque #fj #ih4 ,number of ,impressions which a ,plate is capable of yielding #fj #ii4 ,steel-facing #fa #ajj4 ,copper-facing ,zink ,plates #fb ,,notes4 ,by the ,translator #fc ,,list ,,of ,,works on the ,practice and ,history of ,etching #ge ,a4 ,technical ,treatises #ge ,b4 ,historical and ,theoretical #gg ,c4 ,catalogues of the ,works of the ,artists #gg a4 ,dictionaries #gg b4 ,individual ,artists #gh ,,introductory ,,chapter4 ,,the ,,technical ,,elements ,,of ,,etching4 ,as explained in the ,preface1 this chapter has been added to enable the beginner to master the most necessary technical elements of etching1 without complicating his first attempts by artistic considerations4 ,let him learn how to use his ground1 his points1 and his acid1 before he endeavors to employ these requisites in the production of a work of art4 ,all the materials and tools necessary for making the experiment described below can be bought at the following places3,a-- ,,new ,,york3 ,henry ,leidel1 ,artist's ,materials1 #cda ,fourth ,avenue4 ,,philadelphia3 ,janentzky ,co41 ,artist's ,materials1 #aabe ,chestnut ,street4 ,,boston3 ,j4 ,h4 ,daniels1 ,printer1 #bbc ,washington ,street4 ,but any one living within reach of a druggist1 a paint-shop1 and a hardware-store can do just as well with the exercise of a little patience and a very little ingenuity4 ,for the benefit of such persons all the necessary directions will be given for making what it may be impossible to buy4 ,a ,in ,london1 ,mr4 ,hamerton recommends ,mr4 ,charles ,roberson1 #ii ,long ,acre4 99 99 99 99 99 #a4 ,definition of ,etching4--,to be able to get an impression on paper from a metal plate in a copper-plate printing-press1 it is necessary to sink the lines of the design below the surface of the plate1 so that each line is represented by a furrow4 ,the plate is then inked all over1 care being taken to fill each furrow1 and finally the ink is cautiously wiped away from the surface1 while the furrows are left charged with it4 ,a piece of moist paper pressed against a plate so prepared1 will take the ink up out of the furrows4 ,the result is an impression4 ,in engraving proper these furrows are cut into the plate by mechanical means2 in etching chemical means are used for the same purpose4 ,if nitric acid is brought into contact with copper1 the acid corrodes the metal and finally eats it up altogether2 if it is brought into contact with wax or resinous substances1 no action ensues4 ,hence1 if we cover a copper plate with a ground or varnish composed of wax and resinous substances1 and then draw lines upon this ground with a steel or iron style or point1 so that each stroke of the point lays bare the copper1 we shall have a drawing in lines of copper 7which are affected by nitric acid7 on a ground of varnish 7which is not thus affected74 ,if now we expose the plate to the action of nitric acid for a certain length of time1 we shall find1 upon the removal of the ground by means of benzine1 that the lines have been bitten into the plate1 so that each line forms a furrow capable of taking up the ink4 ,the depth and the breadth of the lines depends upon the thickness of the points used1 and upon the length of time allowed for biting2 or1 in other words1 by varying the size of the points and the time of exposure the lines may also be made to vary4 ,this is the whole of the science of etching in a nutshell4 #b4 ,requisites4--,the following tools and materials are the only ones which are absolutely necessary for a first experiment3-- #a4 ,a ,,copper ,,plate on which to execute your etching4 ,do not waste your money on a large plate4 ,a visiting-card plate is sufficiently large4 ,if you happen to have an engraved plate of that kind1 you can use the back of it4 ,if you have none1 get one at a card-engraver's4 ,the price ought not to be over fifteen cents4 ,if you do not live in any of the large cities named above1 or cannot find a card-engraver1 send fifteen cents in stamps to ,mr4 ,geo4 ,b4 ,sharp1 #de ,gold ,st41 ,new ,york1 ,n4 ,y41 who will forward a plate to you by mail4 ,be very particular in giving your full and correct post-office address4 ,these plates only need cleaning to fit them for use4 #b4 ,,benzine1 used for cleaning the plate1 sold by grocers or druggists at about five cents a pint for common quality4 #c4 ,,whiting or ,,spanish ,,white1 also for cleaning the plate4 ,a very small quantity will do4 #d4 ,,clean ,,cotton ,,rags4--,some pieces of soft old shirting are just the thing4 #e4 ,,etching-,,ground1 with which to protect the plate against the action of the acid4 ,this ground is sold in balls about the size of a walnut4 ,if you do not live in a city where you can buy the ground1 you may as well make it yourself4 ,here is a recipe for a very cheap and at the same time very good ground4 ,it is the ground used by ,mr4 ,peter ,moran1 one of the most experienced of our ,american etchers4 ,buy at a drug-shop 7not an apothecary's7 or painter's supply-store3-- ,two ounces best natural asphaltum 7also called ,egyptian asphaltum71 worth about ten cents4 ,one and a half ounces best white virgin wax1 worth about six cents4 ,one ounce ,burgundy pitch1 worth say five cents4 ,break the wax into small pieces1 and reduce the ,burgundy pitch to fine powder in a mortar1 or have it powdered at the drug-shop4 ,take a clean earthenware pot glazed on the inside1 with a handle to it 7in ,boston you can buy one for fifteen cents at ,g4 ,a4 ,miller ,co4's1 #aja ,shawmut ,avenue71 and in this pot melt your asphaltum over a slow fire1 taking very good care not to let it boil over1 or otherwise you might possibly set the house afire4 ,when the asphaltum has melted add the wax gradually1 stirring all the while with a clean glass or metal rod4 ,then add the ,burgundy pitch in the same way4 ,keep stirring the fluid mass1 and let it boil up two or three times1 always taking care to prevent boiling over6 ,then pour the whole into a pan full of tepid water1 and while it is still soft and pliant1 form into balls of the required size1 working all the while under the water4 ,if you touch the mass while it is still too hot1 you may possibly burn your fingers1 but a true enthusiast does not care for such small things4 ,you will thus get about eight or nine balls of very good ground at an outlay of about thirty-six cents in cash1 and some little time4 ,nearly all recipes order the wax to be melted first1 but as the asphaltum requires a greater heat to reduce it to a fluid condition1 it is best to commence with the least tractable substance4 ,for use1 wrap a ball of the ground in a piece of fine and close silk 7taffeta71 and tie this together with a string4 #f4 ,,means ,,of ,,heating ,,the ,,plate4--,any source of heat emitting no smoke will do1 such as a kitchen stove1 a spirit lamp1 or a small quantity of alcohol poured on a plate and ignited 7when the time arrives74 #g4 ,a ,,hand ,,vice with a wooden handle1 for holding the plate while heating it2 price about seventy-five cents at the hardware-stores4 ,but a small monkey-wrench will do as well1 and for this experiment you can even get along with a pair of pincers4 #h4 ,a ,,dabber for laying the ground on the plate4 ,cut a piece of stout card-board1 two or three inches in diameter2 on this lay a bunch of horse-hair1 freed from all dust1 and over this again some cotton wool4 ,cover the whole with one or two pieces of clean taffeta 7a clean piece of an old silk dress will do71 draw them together tightly over the card-board1 and tie with a string4 ,when finished the thing will look something like a lady's toilet-ball4 ,the horse-hair is not absolutely necessary1 and may be omitted4 #i4 ,,means ,,of ,,smoking ,,the ,,ground4--,the ground when laid on the plate with the dabber1 is quite transparent and allows the glitter of the metal to shine through4 ,to obtain a better working surface the ground is blackened by smoking it4 ,for this purpose the thin wax-tapers known to ,germans as ,wachsstock1 generally sold at ,german toy-stores1 are the best4 ,they come in balls4 ,cut the tapers into lengths1 and twist six of them together4 ,in default of these tapers1 roll a piece of cotton cloth into a roll about as thick and as long as your middle finger1 and soak one end of it in common lamp or sperm oil4 #aj4 ,,stopping-,,out ,,varnish1 used for protecting the back and the edges of the plate1 and for stopping out1 of which more hereafter4 ,if you cannot buy it you can make it by dissolving an ounce of asphaltum1 the same as that used for the ground1 in about an ounce and a half of spirits of turpentine4 ,add the asphaltum to the turpentine little by little2 shake the bottle containing the mixture frequently2 keep it in the sun or a moderately warm place4 ,the operation will require several days4 ,the solution when finished should be of the consistency of thick honey4 #aa4 ,,camel',s-,,hair ,,brushes1 two or three of different sizes1 for laying on the stopping-out varnish1 and for other purposes4 #ab4 ,,etching ,,points ,,or ,,needles1 for scratching the lines into the ground4 ,rat-tail files of good quality1 costing about twenty cents each at the hardware-stores1 are excellent for the purpose4 ,two are all you need for your experiment1 and even one will be sufficient4 ,still cheaper points can be made of sewing1 knitting1 or any other kind of needles1 mounted in sticks of wood like the lead of a lead-pencil4 ,use glue or sealing-wax to fasten them in the wood4 #ac4 ,,an ,,oil-,,stone for grinding the points4 #ad4 ,,an ,,etching-,,tray to hold the acid during the operation of biting4 ,trays are made of glass1 porcelain1 or india-rubber1 and can generally be had at the photographer's supply-stores4 ,a small india-rubber tray1 large enough for your experiment1 measuring four by five inches1 costs fifty-five cents4 ,but you can make an excellent tray yourself of paper4 ,make a box1 of the required size and about one and a half inches high1 of pasteboard1 covered over by several layers of strong paper1 well glued on4 ,if you can manage to make a lip or spout in one of the corners1 so much the better4 ,after the glue has well dried pour stopping-out varnish into the box1 and float it all over the bottom and the sides2 pour the residue of the varnish back into your bottle1 and allow the varnish in the box to dry2 then paint the outside of the box with the same varnish4 ,repeat this process three or four times4 ,such a tray1 with an occasional fresh coating of varnish1 will last forever4 ,for your experiment1 however1 any small porcelain 7not earthenware7 or glass dish will do1 if it is only large enough to hold your plate1 and allow the acid to stand over it to the height of about half an inch4 #ae4 ,a ,,plate-,,lifter1 to lift your plate into and out of the bath without soiling your fingers4 ,it consists of two pieces of string1 each say twelve to fifteen inches long1 tied to two cross-pieces of wood1 each about six inches long1 thus ,illustration4 ,it is well to keep the fingers out of the acid1 as it causes yellow spots on the skin1 which remain till they wear off4 #af4 ,,nitric ,,acid for biting in the lines4 ,any nitric acid sold by druggists will do1 but the best is the so-called chemically pure nitric acid made by ,messrs4 ,powers ,weightman1 of ,philadelphia4 ,it comes put up in glass-stoppered bottles1 the smallest of which hold one pound1 and sell for about sixty cents4 #ag4 ,,water for mixing with the acid and for washing the plate4 #ah4 ,,blotting-,,paper1 soft and thick1 several sheets1 to dry the plate1 as will be seen hereafter4 #ai4 ,,spirits ,,of ,,hartshorn ,,or ,,volatile ,,alkali4--,this is not needed for etching1 but it is well to have it at hand1 in case you should spatter your clothes with acid4 ,spots produced by the acid can generally be removed by rubbing with the alkali1 which neutralizes the acid4 #c4 ,grounding the ,plate4--,having procured all these requisites1 the first thing to do will be to clean the plate so as to remove any oil or other impurities that may have been left on it by the plate-maker4 ,wash and rub it well on both sides with a soft cotton rag and benzine1 and then rub with whiting1 as you would do if you were to clean a door-plate4 ,take care to remove all the whiting with a clean rag4 ,now take hold of your plate by one of its corners with the hand-vice1 wrench1 or pincers1 between the jaws of which you have put a bit of card-board or stout paper1 so as not to mark the plate4 ,hold it over the stove1 spirit lamp1 or ignited alcohol1 and see to it that it is heated evenly throughout4 ,hold the plate in your left hand while heating it1 and with the other press against it the ball of ground wrapped up in silk4 ,as soon as you see the ground melting through the silk1 distribute it over the plate by rubbing the ball all over its surface 7the polished surface1 as a matter of course71 taking care the while that the plate remains just hot enough to melt the ground4 ,if it is too hot1 the ground will commence to boil and will finally burn4 ,the bubbles caused by boiling are liable to leave air-holes in the ground through which the acid may bite little holes in the plate2 burning ruins the ground altogether1 so that it loses its power of withstanding the acid4 ,after you have distributed the ground tolerably evenly1 and in a thin layer1 lay the plate down on the table 7keeping hold of it1 however1 by the corner71 and finish the distribution of the ground by dabbing with the dabber4 ,strike the plate quickly and with some force at first1 and treat it more gently as the ground begins to cool4 ,if it should have cooled too much1 before the distribution is accomplished to your satisfaction1 in which case the dabber will draw threads1 heat the plate gently4 ,the dabber not only equalizes the distribution of the varnish1 but also removes what is superfluous4 ,an extremely thin layer of ground is sufficient4 #d4 ,smoking the ,plate4--,while the plate is yet hot1 and the ground soft1 it must be smoked4 ,light your tapers or your oil torch1 and turn the plate upside down4 ,allow the flame just to touch the plate1 and keep moving it about rapidly1 so that it may touch all points of the plate1 without remaining long at any one of them4 ,if this precaution is ignored1 the ground will be burned1 with the result before stated4 ,the smoking is finished as soon as the plate is uniformly blackened all over1 and the glimmer of the metal can no longer be seen through the ground4 ,now allow the plate to cool so that the ground may harden4 ,avoid dust as much as possible while grounding and smoking the plate4 ,particles of dust embedded in the ground may cause holes which will admit the acid where you do not wish it to act4 #e4 ,points or ,needles4--,the plate is now ready for drawing upon it1 but before you can proceed to draw you must prepare your points or needles4 ,two will do for this first experiment1 a fine one and a coarse one4 ,for the fine one you may use a sewing-needle1 for the coarser one a medium embroidery needle1 both set in wood so that the points project about a quarter of an inch4 ,if you are going to use rat-tail files1 grind the handle-ends on your oil-stone until they attain the requisite fineness4 ,hold the file flat on the stone1 so as to get a gradually tapering point1 and turn continually4 ,see to it that even the point of your finest needle is not too sharp4 ,if it scratches when you draw it lightly over a piece of card-board1 describe circles with it on the board until it simply makes a mark without scratching4 ,the coarse needle must be evenly rounded1 as otherwise it may have a cutting point somewhere4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,a4 #f4 ,drawing on the ,plate4--,as the purpose of your experiment is simply to familiarize yourself with the technicalities of etching1 that is to say1 with the preparation of the plate1 the management of the points1 and the action of the acid1 it will be well to confine yourself to the drawing of lines something like those on ,pl4 ,a4 ,it is the office of the point simply to remove the ground1 and lay bare the copper4 ,but this it must do thoroughly1 for the slightest covering left on the plate will prevent the acid from attacking the copper4 ,you must therefore use sufficient pressure to accomplish this end1 but at the same time you must avoid cutting into the copper by using too much pressure4 ,wherever the point has cut the copper the acid acts more rapidly1 as the polished coating of the surface of the plate has been removed4 ,it is evident from this that an even pressure is necessary to produce an evenly bitten line4 ,do not touch the ground with your hands while drawing4 ,rest your hand on three or four thicknesses of soft blotting-paper4 ,when you desire to shift the paper1 lift it1 and never draw it over the ground4 ,hold the point1 not slantingly like a pencil1 but as near as possible perpendicularly4 ,the point is a hard instrument1 with which you cannot produce a swelling line1 as with a pencil or a pen4 ,therefore your only aim must be an even line1 produced by even pressure4 ,the minute threads of ground thrown up by the point you must remove with your largest camel's-hair brush2 otherwise they may clog your lines4 ,before commencing to draw read the description of ,pl4 ,a given under the heading ,description of ,plates4 #g4 ,preparing the ,plate for the ,bath4--,if you were to put the plate into the acid bath in the state in which it is at present1 the acid would corrode the unprotected parts4 ,to prevent this paint the back1 and the corner by which you held the plate while grounding it1 and the edges with stopping-out varnish4 ,if you are not in a hurry 7and it is always best not to be in a hurry71 let the varnish dry over night2 if you cannot wait so long an hour will be sufficient for drying4 ,while the plate is drying you may lay it1 face downward1 on a little pile of soft paper1 made up of pieces smaller than the plate1 so that the paper may not touch the varnished edges4 #h4 ,the ,bath4--,the preparation of the bath is next in order4 ,ascertain the capacity of the dish or tray you are going to use by pouring water into it to fill it to half its height1 and then measuring the water4 ,pour one half of this quantity of water back into the tray1 and add to it the same quantity of nitric acid1 stirring the mixture well with a glass rod1 or a bit of glass1 or a bird's feather1 if you happen to have one1 or in default of all these with a bit of stick4 ,the mixing of water and acid induces chemical action1 and this produces heat4 ,the bath must therefore be allowed to cool half an hour or so1 before the plate is put into it4 ,nitric acid being a corrosive and poisonous fluid1 it is well to use some care in handling it4 ,otherwise it may bite holes into your clothing1 and disfigure your hands1 as before noted4 ,by the side of your bath have a large vessel filled with clean water1 in which to wash the plate when it is withdrawn from the bath1 and your fingers in case you should soil them with acid4 #i4 ,biting and ,stopping ,out4--,the bath having been prepared1 and the varnish on the back and edges of the plate having dried sufficiently1 lay the plate on the plate-lifter1 face upward1 and lift it into the bath4 ,in a few minutes1 in hot weather in a few seconds1 the acid will begin to act on the copper4 ,this is made evident to the eye by the bubbles which collect in the lines1 and to the nose by the fumes of nitrous acid which the bath exhales4 ,the bubbles must be removed by gently brushing them out of the lines with a brush or the vane of a feather2 the fumes it is best not to inhale1 as they irritate the throat4 ,after the biting has gone on for three minutes in warm1 or for five minutes in cold weather1 lift the plate out of the bath into the vessel filled with water4 ,having washed it well1 so as to remove all traces of the acid1 lay it on a piece of blotting-paper1 and take up the moisture from the face by gently pressing another piece of the same paper against it4 ,then fan the plate for some minutes to make sure that it is absolutely dry4 ,if you have a pair of bellows you may dispense with the blotting-paper as well as with the fanning4 ,the lines on the plate1 having all bitten for the same length of time1 are now all of about the same depth1 and if the plate were cleaned and an impression taken from it1 they would all appear of about the same strength1 the only difference being that produced by difference in spacing and in the size of the needles4 ,this is the point where the stopping-out varnish comes in4 ,with a fine camel's-hair brush stop out1 that is to say1 paint over with stopping-out varnish1 those lines or parts of lines which are to remain as they are4 ,if the varnish should be too thick to flow easily from the brush1 mix a small quantity of it in a paint saucer1 or on a porcelain slab1 or a piece of glass1 with a few drops of benzine4 ,the varnish1 however1 must not be too thin1 as in that case it will run in the lines1 and will fill them where you do not wish them to be filled4 ,if it is of the right consistency1 you can draw a clean and sharp line across the etched lines without danger of running4 ,when you have laid on your stopping-out varnish1 fan it for some minutes until it has dried sufficiently not to adhere to the finger when lightly touched4 ,then introduce the plate into the bath again1 and let the biting continue another five minutes4 ,remove again1 stop out as before1 and continue these operations as often as you wish4 ,but it would be useless to let your accumulated bitings on this experimental plate exceed more than thirty minutes4 ,having finished your last biting1 clean the plate with benzine4 ,then apply the same process to your hands1 and follow it up with a vigorous application of soap and nail-brush4 ,this will leave your hands as beautiful as they were before4 ,it is hardly worth while to bother with taking an impression from this trial plate1 unless you happen to have a printer near by4 ,the plate itself will show you how the acid has enlarged the lines at each successive biting1 and it stands to reason that the broader and deeper lines should give a darker impression than the finer and shallower ones4 ,if1 however1 you have no printer at hand1 and still desire to see how your work looks in black and white1 you may consult the chapter on ,proving and ,printing1 p4 #ee of ,m4 ,lalanne's ,treatise4 99 99 99 99 99 ,you have now gained some idea of the theory of etching1 have acquainted yourself with the use of tools and materials1 and have mastered the most elementary technical difficulties of the process4 ,you are therefore in a position to profit by the teachings of ,m4 ,lalanne which follow4 ,in conclusion1 let me assure you that the home-made appliances described in the foregoing paragraphs are quite sufficient1 technically1 for the purposes of the etcher4 ,plate ,b1 ,mr4 ,walter ,f4 ,lansil's first essay in etching1 was executed according to the directions here given1 and the artist has kindly consented to let me use it for the special purpose of illustrating this point4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,b4 ,,description ,,of ,,the ,,plates4 ,,plate ,a4 ,a ,trial ,plate4 ,this plate is given to show the effect of difference in length of biting4 ,the lines in the eight upper rectangles were all drawn before the first immersion of the plate1 those on the left with a fine point1 those on the right with a somewhat coarser one4 ,after the plate had been in the bath for three minutes1 it was withdrawn1 and the upper rectangle on the left stopped out4 ,the upper rectangle on the right1 however1 had hardly been attacked by the acid1 as the lines had been drawn with a blunter point1 which had not scratched the copper1 while the fine point had4 ,it was therefore allowed to bite another three minutes before it was stopped out4 ,the other rectangles were allowed to bite ten1 twenty1 and thirty minutes respectively1 by which means the difference in value was produced4 ,the figures a1 b1 c perhaps show the results of partial biting still better4 ,the three were simply lined with the same point4 ,after the first biting they all looked like a4 ,this was then stopped out1 together with the corners of b and c4 ,after the second biting b and c were both as b now is4 ,the whole of b was now stopped out1 and part of c1 allowing only the inner lozenge to remain exposed to the acid4 ,it is evident that the difference in color in these figures is not due to the drawing1 but is entirely the result of biting4 ,,plate ,b4 ,vessels in ,boston ,harbor4 ,a first essay in etching by ,mr4 ,walter ,f4 ,lansil1 marine painter1 of ,boston4 ,the artist has kindly given me permission to use this plate1 for the purpose of showing that the home-made tools and materials described in the ,introductory ,chapter are quite sufficient for all the technical purposes of the etcher4 ,it is eminently home-made4 ,the ground was prepared according to the recipe given2 the points used were a sewing-needle and a knitting-needle2 the tray in which it was etched was made of paper covered with stopping-out varnish2 even the plate 7a zink plate by the way7 did not come from the plate-maker1 but was ground and polished at home4 ,,plate ,ia4 ,etching after ,claude ,lorrain4 ,unfinished plate1 or first state 7see pp4 #bc and #bi74 ,this1 however1 is not the etching itself2 it is a photo-engraving from the unfinished etching4 ,but it does well enough to show the imperfections alluded to by ,m4 ,lalanne in the text4 ,,plate ,i4 ,etching after ,claude ,lorrain4 ,finished plate1 or second state 7see pp4 #cf and #ef74 ,clean wiped4 ,,plate ,,ii4 ,etching after ,claude ,lorrain4 ,printed from the same plate as ,pl4 ,i1 but treated as described on p4 #eg4 ,the difference between the two plates shows what the art of the printer can do for an etching4 ,the difference would be still greater if ,pl4 ,,ii4 were better printed2 for it is not printed as well as it might be1 although it was done in ,paris4 ,,plate ,,iii4 ,a plat1 une pointe--flat biting1 drawn with one point2 that is to say1 the plate was immersed only once1 and the lines are all the result of the same needle1 so that the effect is only produced by placing the lines close together in the foreground1 and farther apart as the distance recedes 7see p4 #dc74 ,a plat1 plusieurs pointes--flat biting1 several points1 that is to say1 one immersion only1 but the work of finer and coarser points is intermingled in the drawing4 ,par couvertures1 plusieurs pointes--stopping out and the work of several points combined4 ,,plate ,,iv4 ,fig4 #a4 ,see p4 #bg4 ,fig4 #b4 ,see p4 #de4 ,figs4 #c1 #d and #e4 ,see p4 #df4 ,,plate ,v4 ,fig4 #a4 ,worked with one point2 effect produced by stopping out 7see p4 #dd74 ,fig4 #b4 ,mottled tint in the building1 c41 in the foreground2 stopping out before biting1 in the sky 7see p4 #ea74 ,,plate ,,vi4 ,soft-ground etchings4 ,see p4 #eb4 ,,plate ,,vii4 ,dry-point etching4 ,see p4 #ec4 ,,plate ,,viii4 ,a ,seville4 ,a sketch1 given as a specimen of printing 7see p4 #eh74 ,,plate ,,ix4 ,a ,anvers4 ,le ,haag1 ,amsterdam4 ,sketches from nature1 to serve as examples4 ,,plate ,x4 7,frontispiece74 ,souvenir de ,bordeaux4 ,to be consulted in regard to the manner of using the points and partial bitings4 ,,my ,,dear ,,monsieur ,,lalanne1,b ,b ,this letter preceded also the first edition of #ahff4 ,if there is any one living who can write about ,etching1 it must certainly be you1 as you possess all the secrets of the art1 and are versed in all its refinements1 its resources1 and its effects4 ,nevertheless1 when ,i was told that you intended to publish a book on the subject1 ,i feared that you were about to attempt the impossible2 for it seemed as if ,abraham ,bosse had exhausted the theme two hundred years ago1 and that you would be condemned to repeat all that this excellent man had said in his treatise1 in which1 with charming naivete1 he teaches the art of engraving to perfection4 ,i must confess1 however1 that the reading of your manuscript very quickly undeceived me4 ,i find in it numberless useful and interesting things not to be found anywhere else1 and ,i comprehend that ,abraham ,bosse wrote for those who know1 while you write for those who do not know4 ,i was quite young1 and had just left college1 when accident threw into my hands the ,traite des manieres de graver en taille douce sur l'airain par le moyen des eaux fortes et des vernis durs et mols4 ,perhaps ,i might have paid no attention to this book1 if ,i had not previously noticed on the stands on the ,quai ,voltaire some etchings by ,rembrandt1 which had opened to me an entirely new world of poetry and of dreams4 ,these prints had taken such hold upon my imagination that ,i desired to learn1 from ,bosse's ,treatise1 how the ,dutch painter had managed to produce his strange and startling effects and his mysterious tones1 the fantastic play of his lights and the silence of his shadows4 ,rembrandt's etchings on the one hand1 and ,bosse's book on the other1 were the causes of my resolution to learn the art of engraving1 and of my subsequent entry into the studio of ,calamatta and ,mercuri4 ,as soon as ,i knew how to hold the burin and the point1 these grave and illustrious masters placed before me an allegorical figure engraved by ,edelinck1 whose drapery was executed in waving and winding lines1 incomparable in their correctness and beauty4 ,to break my hand to the work1 it was necessary to copy on my plate these solemnly classical and majestically disposed lines4 ,but while ,i cut into the copper with restrained impatience1 my attention was secretly turned towards ,rembrandt's celebrated portrait of ,janus ,lutma1 a good impression of which ,i owned1 and which ,i thought of copying4 ,to make my debut in this severe school--in which we were allowed to admire only ,marc ,antonio1 the ,ghisis1 the ,audrans1 and ,nanteuil--with an etching by ,rembrandt1 would have been a heresy of the worst sort4 ,hence to be able to risk this infraction of discipline1 ,i took very good care to keep my project to myself4 ,secretly ,i bought ground1 wax1 and a plate1 and profited of the absence of my teachers to attempt1 with fevered hands1 to make a fac-simile of the ,lutma4 ,i had followed the instructions of ,abraham ,bosse with regard to the ground1 and ,i proceeded to bite in my plate with the assistance of a comrade1 ,charles ,noerdlinger1 at present engraver to the king of ,wurtemburg1 at ,stuttgart1 whom ,i had admitted as my accomplice in this delightful expedition4 ,you may well imagine1 my dear ,monsieur ,lalanne1 that ,i met with all sorts of accidents1 such as are likely to befall a novice1 and all of which you describe so carefully1 while at the same time you indicate fully and lucidly the remedies that may be applied4 ,the ground cracked in several places1--happily in the dark parts4 ,my wax border had been hastily constructed1 and ,i did not know then1 although ,bosse says so1 that it is the rule to pass a heated key along the lower line of the border1 so as to melt the wax1 and thus render all escape impossible4 ,consequently the acid filtered through under the wax1 and in trying to arrest the flow1 ,i burned my fingers4 ,furthermore1 when it came to the biting in of the shadows in the portrait of ,lutma1 the greenish and then whitish ebullition produced by the long-continued biting so frightened me1 that ,i hastened to empty the acid into a pail1 not1 however1 without having spattered a few drops on a proof of the ,vow of ,louis ,,xiii41 which had been scratched in the printing1 and which we were about to repair4 ,at last ,i removed the ground1 and1 trembling all over1 went to have a proof taken1 but not to the printer regularly employed by ,calamatta4 ,what a disappointment6 ,i believed my etching to have been sufficiently1 nay1 even over-bitten1 and in reality ,i had stopped half-way4 ,the color of the copper had deceived me4 ,i had seen my portrait on the fine red ground of the metal1 and now ,i saw it on the crude white of the paper4 ,i hardly knew it again4 ,it lacked the profundity1 the mystery1 the harmony in the shadows1 which were precisely what ,i had striven for4 ,the plate was only roughly cut up by lines crossing in all directions1 through the network of which shone the ground which ,rembrandt had subdued1 so as to give all the more brilliancy to the window with its leaded panes1 to the lights in the foreground1 and to the cheek of the pensive head of ,lutma4 ,as luck would have it1 all the light part in the upper half of the print came out pretty well2 the expression of the face was satisfactory1 and the grimaces of the two small heads of monsters which surmount the back of the chair were perfectly imitated4 ,i had to strengthen the shadows by means of the roulette1 and to go over the most prominent folds of the coat with the graver2 for ,i had not the knowledge necessary to enable me to undertake a second biting4 ,bosse says a few words on this subject1 which1 as they are wanting in clearness1 are apt to lead a beginner into error4 ,he speaks of smoked ground1 while1 as you have so admirably shown1 white ground must be used for retouching4 ,i therefore finished my plate by patching and cross-hatching and stippling1 and finally obtained a passable copy1 which1 at a little distance1 looked something like the original1 although1 to a practised eye1 it was really nothing but a very rude imitation4 ,it is needless to say that we carefully obliterated all evidence of our proceedings1 and that1 my teachers having returned1 ,i went to work again1 with hypocritical compunction1 upon what ,i called the military lines of ,gerard ,edelinck4 ,but we were betrayed by some incautious words of the chamber-woman1 and ,m4 ,calamatta1 having discovered the rose-pot1 scolded ,charles ,noerdlinger and myself roundly for this romantic escapade4 ,if my plate had been worse1----the good ,lord only knows what might have happened6 ,all this1 my dear ,m4 ,lalanne1 is simply intended to show to you how greatly ,i esteem the excellent advice which you give to the young etcher1 or aqua-fortiste 7as the phrase goes now-a-days1 according to a neologism which is hardly less barbaric than the word artistic74 ,when ,i recall the efforts of my youth1 the ardor with which ,i deceived myself1 the hot haste with which ,i fell into the very errors which you point out1 ,i understand that your book is an absolute necessity2 and that the artist or the amateur1 who1 hidden away in some obscure province1 desires to enjoy the agreeable pastime of etching1 need only follow1 step by step1 the intelligent and methodical order of your precepts1 to be enabled to carry the most complicated plate to a satisfactory end1 whether he chooses to employ the soft ground used by ,decamps1 ,masson1 and ,marvy1 or whether he confines himself to the ordinary processes which you make sensible even to the touch with a lucidity1 a familiarity with details1 and a certainty of judgment1 not to be sufficiently commended4 ,having read your ,treatise1 ,i admit1 not only that you have surpassed your worthy predecessor1 ,abraham ,bosse1 but that you have absolutely superseded his book by making your own indispensable4 ,if only the amateurs1 whose time hangs heavily upon them2 if the artists1 who wish to fix a fleeting impression2 if the rich1 who are sated with the pleasures of photography1--had an idea of the great charm inherent in etching1 your little work would have a marvellous success6 ,even our elegant ladies and literary women1 tired of their do-nothing lives and their nick-nacks1 might find a relaxation full of attractions in the art of drawing on the ground and biting-in their passing fancies4 ,madame de ,pompadour1 when she had ceased to govern1 although she continued to reign1 took upon herself a colossal enterprise1--to amuse the king and to divert herself4 ,you know the sixty-three pieces executed by this charming engraver 7note1 if you please1 that ,i do not say engraveress674 ,her etchings after ,eisen and ,boucher are exquisite4 ,the pulsation of life1 the fulness of the carnations1 are expressed in them by delicately trembling lines2 and ,i do think that ,madame de ,pompadour could not have done better1 even if she had been your pupil4 ,at present1 moreover1 etching has1 in some measure1 become the fashion again as a substitute for lithography1 an art which developed charm as well as strength under the crayon of ,charlet1 of ,gericault1 of ,gigoux1 and of ,gavarni4 ,the ,societe des ,aqua-fortistes is the fruit of this renaissance4 ,the art1 which1 in our own day1 has been rendered illustrious by the inimitable ,jacque1 now has its adepts in all countries1 and in all imaginable spheres of society4 ,etchings come to us from all points of the compass3 the ,hague sends those of ,m4 ,cornet1 conservator of the ,museum2 ,poland1 those which form the interesting album of ,m4 ,bronislas ,zaleski1 the ,life of the ,kirghise ,steppes2 ,london1 those of ,m4 ,seymour ,haden1 so original and full of life1 and so well described in the catalogue of our friend ,burty2 ,lisbon1 those of ,king ,ferdinand of ,portugal1 who etches as ,grandville drew1 but with more suppleness and freedom4 ,but after all ,paris is the place where the best etchings appear1 more especially in the ,gazette des ,beaux-,arts1 and in the publications of the ,societe des ,aqua-fortistes4 ,do you desire to press this capricious process into your service for the translation of the old or modern masters8 ,hedouin1 ,flameng1 ,bracquemont1 will do wonders for you4 ,you have told me yourself that1 in my ,o,euvre de ,rembrandt1 ,flameng has so well imitated this great man1 that he himself would be deceived if he should come to life again4 ,as to ,jules ,jacquemart1 he is perfectly unique of his kind2 he compels etching to say what it never before was able to say4 ,with the point of his needle he expresses the density of porphyry2 the coldness of porcelain2 the insinuating surface of ,chinese lacquer2 the transparent and imponderable finesse of ,venetian glassware2 the reliefs and the chased lines of the most delicate works of the goldsmith1 almost imperceptible in their slightness2 the polish of iron and steel2 the glitter1 the reflections1 and even the sonority of bronze2 the color of silver and of gold1 as well as all the lustre of the diamond and all the appreciable shades of the emerald1 the turquoise1 and the ruby4 ,i shall not speak of you1 my dear monsieur1 nor of your etchings1 in which the style of ,claude is so well united to the grace of ,karel ,dujardin4 ,you preach by practising2 and if one had only seen the plates with which you have illustrated your excellent lessons1 one would recognize not only the instructor but the master4 ,hence1 be without fear or hesitation2 put forth confidently your little book2 it is just in time to help regenerate the art of etching1 and to direct its renaissance4 ,for these reasons--mark my prediction6--its success will be brilliant and lasting4 ,,charles ,,blanc4 ,,introduction4 ,since the year #ahff1 when the first edition of this treatise appeared1 the art of etching1 which was then in full course of regeneration1 has gained considerably in extent4 ,the tendencies of modern art must necessarily favor the soaring flight of this method of engraving1 which has been left in oblivion quite too long4 ,it remained for our contemporary school to accord to it those honors which the school of the first empire had denied to it1 and which that of #ahcj had given but timidly4 ,at the period last named some of our illustrious masters1 by applying their talent to occasional essays in etching1 set an example which our own generation1 expansive in its aspirations1 and anxiously desirous of guarding the rights of individuality1 was quick to follow4 ,the ,gazette des ,beaux ,arts comprehended this movement1 and contributed to its extension by attracting to itself the artists who rendered themselves illustrious by the work done for its pages1 while1 by a sort of natural reciprocity1 they shed around it the prestige of their talents4 ,the ,societe des ,aqua-fortistes 7,etching ,club71 founded in #ahfc by ,alfred ,cadart1 has also1 by the united efforts of many eminent etchers1 done its share towards bringing the practice of this art into notice1 and has popularized it in the world of amateurs1 whose numbers it has been instrumental in augmenting2 while at the same time1 owing to the nature of its constitution1 it has given material support to the artists4 ,private collections have been formed1 and are growing in richness from day to day4 ,two royal artists1 ,king ,ferdinand of ,portugal and ,king ,charles ,,xv4 of ,sweden1 have1 through their works1 taken an active part in the renewal of etching2 they were the happy sponsors of a publication which1 under the name of ,l',illustration ,nouvelle1 follows in the footsteps1 and continues the traditions1 of the ,societe des ,aqua-fortistes4 ,similar societies1 organized in ,england and in ,belgium1#a are prospering4 ,on the other hand1 a great number of art journals1 of books1 and of albums1 owe their success to the use made in them of etchings4 ,this is true also of those special editions which are sumptuously printed in small numbers1 and are the delight of lovers of books4 ,etching has thus taken a position in modern art which cannot fail to become still more important4 ,everything has been said1 wrote ,la ,bruyere1 concerning the works of the pen1 and we can only glean after the poets4 ,the literature of two centuries has given the lie to the assertion of the celebrated moralist1 and it may also be affirmed that etching has not yet spoken its last word4 ,not only has it no need of gleaning after the old masters1 but it may rather seek for precious models in the works of our contemporary etchers4 ,in their experience may be found fruit for the present as well as useful information for the future4 ,illustration3 ,,an ,,etcher',s ,,studio4 ,from the ,third ,edition of ,abraham ,bosse's ,treatise1 ,paris1 #ageh4 ,a ,,treatise ,,on ,,etching4 ,,chapter ,i4 ,,definition ,,and ,,character ,,of ,,etching4 #a4 ,definition4--,an etching is a design fixed on metal by the action of an acid4 ,the art of etching consists1 in the first place1 in drawing1 with a point or needle1 upon a metal plate1 which is perfectly polished1 and covered with a layer of varnish1 or ground1 blackened by smoke2 and1 secondly1 in exposing the plate1 when the drawing is finished1 to the action of nitric acid4 ,the acid1 which does not affect fatty substances but corrodes metal1 eats into the lines which have been laid bare by the needle1 and thus the drawing is bitten in4 ,the varnish is then removed by washing the plate with spirits of turpentine1#b and the design will be found to be engraved1 as it were1 on the plate4 ,but1 as the color of the copper is misleading1 it is impossible to judge properly of the quality of the work done until a proof has been taken4 #b4 ,knowledge needed by the ,etcher4--,the aspirant in the art of etching1 having familiarized himself by a few trials with the appearance of the bright lines produced by the needle on the dark ground of smoked varnish1 will soon go to work on his plate confidently and unhesitatingly2 and1 without troubling himself much about the uniform appearance of his work1 he will gradually learn to calculate in advance the conversion of his lines into lines more or less deeply bitten1 and the change in appearance which these lines undergo when transferred to paper by means of ink and press4 ,it follows from this that the etcher must1 from the very beginning of his work1 have a clear conception of the idea he intends to realize on his plate1 as the work of the needle must harmonize with the character of the subject1 and as the effect produced is finally determined by the combination of this work with that of the acid4 ,the knowledge needed to bring about these intimate relations between the needle1 which produces the drawing1 and the biting-in1 which supplies the color1 constitutes the whole science of the etcher4 #c4 ,manner of ,using the ,needle4--,character of ,lines4--,the needle or point must be allowed to play lightly on the varnish1 so as to permit the hand to move with that unconcern which is necessary to great freedom of execution4 ,the use of a moderately sharp needle will insure lines which are full and nourished in the delicate as well as in the vigorous parts of the work4 ,we shall thus secure the means of being simple4 ,nor will it be necessary to depart from this character even in plates requiring the most minute execution2 all that is required will be a finer point1 and lines of a more delicate kind4 ,but the spaces left between the latter will be proportionately the same1 or perhaps even somewhat wider1 so as to prevent the acid from confusing the lines by eating away the ridges of metal which are left standing between the furrows4 ,freshness and neatness depend on these conditions in small as well as in large plates4 #d4 ,freedom of ,execution4--,it is a well-known fact that the engraver who employs the burin 7or graver71 produces lines on the naked copper or steel which cross one another1 and are measured and regular4 ,it is a necessary consequence of the importance of line-engraving1 growing out of its application to classical works of high style1 that it should always show the severity and coldness of positive and almost mathematical workmanship4 ,with etching this is not the case3 the point must be free and capricious2 it must accentuate the forms of objects without stiffness or dryness1 and must delicately bring out the various distances1 without following any other law than that of a picturesque harmony in the execution4 ,it may be made to work with precision1 whenever that is needed1 but only to be abandoned afterwards to its natural grace4 ,it will be well1 however1 to avoid over-excitement and violence in execution1 which give an air of slovenliness to that which ought to be simply a revery4 #e4 ,how to produce ,difference in ,texture4--,the manner of execution to be selected must conform to the nature of the objects4 ,this is essential1 as we have at our disposition only a point1 the play of which on the varnish is always the same4 ,it follows that we must vary its strokes1 so as to make it express difference in texture4 ,if we examine the etchings of the old masters1 we shall find that they had a special way of expressing foliage1 earth1 rocks1 water1 the sky1 figures1 architecture1 c41 without1 however1 making themselves the slaves of too constraining a tradition4 #f4 ,the ,work of the ,acid4--,after the subject has been drawn on the ground1 the acid steps in to give variety to the forms which were laid out for it by the needle1 to impart vibration to this work of uniform aspect1 and to inform it with the all-pervading warmth of life4 ,in principle1 a single biting ought to be sufficient2 but if the artist desires to secure greater variety in the result by a succession of partial bitings1 the different distances may be made to detach themselves from one another by covering up with varnish the parts sufficiently bitten each time the plate is withdrawn from the bath4 ,the different parts which the mordant is to play must be regulated by the feeling3 discreet and prudent1 it will impart delicacy to the tender values2 controlled in its subtle functions1 it will carefully mark the relative tones of the various distances2 less restrained and used more incisively1 it will dig into the accentuated parts and will give them force4 #g4 ,the ,use of the ,dry ,point4--,if harmony has not been sufficiently attained1 the dry point is used on the bare metal1 to modify the values incompletely rendered1 or expressed too harshly4 ,its office is to cover such insufficient passages with a delicate tint1 and to serve1 as ,charles ,blanc has very well expressed it1 as a glaze in engraving4 #h4 ,spirit in which the ,etcher must work4--,follow your feeling1 combine your modes of expression1 establish points of comparison1 and adopt from among the practical means at command 7which depend on the effect1 and on which the effect depends7 those which will best render the effect desired3 this is the course to be followed by the etcher4 ,there is plenty of the instinctive which practice will develop in him1 and in this he will find a growing charm and an irresistible attraction4 ,what happy effects1 what surprises1 what unforeseen discoveries1 when the varnish is removed from the plate6 ,a bit of good luck and of inspiration often does more than a methodical rule1 whether we are engaged on subjects of our own invention1--capricci1 as the ,italians call them1--or whether we are drawing from nature directly on the copper4 ,the great aim is to arrive at the first onset at the realization of our ideas as they are present in our mind4 ,an etching must be virginal1 like an improvisation4 #i4 ,expression of ,individuality in ,etching4--,having once mastered the processes1 the designer or painter need only carry his own individuality into a species of work which will no longer be strange to him1 there to find again the expression of the talent which he displayed in another field of art4 ,he will comprehend that etching has this essentially vital element1--and in it lies the strength of its past and the guaranty of its future1--that1 more than any other kind of engraving on metal1 it bears the imprint of the character of the artist4 ,it personifies and represents him so well1 it identifies itself so closely with his idea1 that it often seems on the point of annihilating itself as a process in favor of this idea4 ,rembrandt furnishes a striking example of this3 by the intermixture and diversity of the methods employed by him1 he arrived at a suavity of expression which may be called magical2 he diffused grace and depth throughout his work4 ,in some of his plates the processes lend themselves so marvellously to the severest requirements of modelling1 and attain such an extreme limit of delicacy1 that the eye can no longer follow them1 thus leaving the completest enjoyment to the intellect alone4 ,claude ,lorrain1 on the other hand1 knew how to conciliate freedom of execution with majesty of style4 #aj4 ,value of ,etching to ,artists4--,speaking of this subordination of processes in etching to feeling1 ,i am induced to point out how many of the masters of our time1 judging by the character of their work1 might have added to their merits had they but substituted the etcher's needle for the crayon4 ,was not ,decamps1 who handled the point but little1 an etcher in his drawings and his lithographs8 ,ingres only executed one solitary etching1 and yet1 simply by virtue of his great knowledge1 it seems as if in it he had given a presentiment of all the secrets of the craft4 ,and did not ,gigoux give us a foretaste of the work of the acid1 when he produced the illustrations to his ,gil ,blas1 conceived in the spirit of an etcher1 which1 after thirty years of innumerable similar productions1 are still the chef-d'oeuvre and the model of engraving on wood4 ,and would ,mouilleron have been inferior1 if from the stone he had passed to the copper plate8 ,it would be an easy matter to multiply examples chosen from among the artists who have boldly handled the needle1 or from among those who might have taken it up with equal advantage1 to prove that etching is not1 as it has been called1 a secondary method4 ,there are no secondary methods for the manifestation of genius4 #aa4 ,versatility of ,etching4--,the needle is the crayon2 the acid adds color4 ,the needle is sometimes all the more eloquent because its means of expression are confined within more restricted limits4 ,it is familiar and lively in the sketch1 which by a very little must say a great deal2 the sketch is the spontaneous letter4 ,it all but reaches the highest expression when it is called in to translate a grand spectacle1 or one of those fugitive effects of light which nature seems to produce but sparingly1 so as to leave to art the merit of fixing them4 #ab4 ,etching compared to other ,styles of ,engraving4--,by its very character of freedom1 by the intimate and rapid connection which it establishes between the hand and the thoughts of the artist1 etching becomes the frankest and most natural of interpreters4 ,these are the qualities which make it an honor to art1 of which it is a glorious branch4 ,all other styles of engraving can never be any thing but a means of reproduction4 ,we must admire the knowledge1 the intelligence1 and the self-denial which the line-engraver devotes to the service of his art4 ,but1 after all1 it is merely the art of assimilating an idea which is foreign to him1 and of which he is the slave4 ,by him the chefs-d'oeuvre of the masters are multiplied and disseminated1 and sometimes1 in giving eternity to an original work1 he immortalizes his own name2 but the part he has assumed inevitably excludes him from all creative activity4 #ac4 ,etching as a ,reproductive ,art4--,these reserves having been made in regard to the engraver1 whose instrument is the burin1 justice requires that the reproductive etcher should come in for his proportional share1 and that his functions should be defined4 ,some years ago1 a school of etchers arose among us1 whose mission it is to interpret those works of the brush which1 by the delicacy and elegance of their character1 cannot be harmonized with the severity of the burin4 ,this school1 to which ,mr4 ,gaucherel gave a great impulse1 has been called in to fill a regrettable void in the collections of amateurs4 ,every one knows those remarkable publications1 ,les ,artistes ,contemporains1 and ,les ,peintres ,vivants1 which1 for the last twenty years1 have reproduced in lithography the chefs-d'oeuvre of our exhibitions of paintings4 ,to-day etching takes the place of lithography2 it excels in the reproduction of modern landscapes1 and of the genre subjects which we owe to our most esteemed painters4 ,it is not less happy in the interpretation of certain of the old masters1 whose works make it impossible to approach them with the burin4 ,the catalogues of celebrated galleries which have lately been sold also testify to the important services rendered to art by the reproductive etcher4 ,his methods are free and rapid2 they are not subjected to a severe convention of form4 ,he may rest his own work on the genius of others1 so as to attain a success like that of the painter-etcher2 but the latter1 as he bathes his inspiration in the acid and triumphantly withdraws it1 finds his power and his resources within himself alone4 ,he is at once the translator and the poet4 ,,chapter ,,ii4 ,,tools ,,and ,,materials4--,,preparing ,,the ,,plate4--,,drawing ,,on ,,the ,,plate ,,with ,,the ,,needle4 #ad4 ,method of ,using this ,manual4--,as the general theory given in the preceding chapter may seem too brief1 and may convey but an incomplete idea of the different operations involved in etching1 ,i shall now endeavor to formulate1 in as concise a manner as possible1 such practical directions as ,i have had occasion to give to a young designer1 and to different other persons1 in my own studio4 ,i shall provide successively for all the accidents which usually1 or which may possibly1 occur4 ,but the beginner need not trouble himself too much about the apparent complication of detail which the following pages present4 ,they are intended1 rather1 to be consulted1 like a dictionary1 as occasion arises4 ,in all cases1 however1 it will be well1 on reading the book1 to make immediate application of the various directions given1 so as to avoid all confusion of detail in the memory1 and to escape the tedium of what would otherwise be rather dry reading4 ,a4 ,,tools ,,and ,,materials4 #ae4 ,list of ,tools and ,materials needed4--,to begin with1 we must provide ourselves with the following requisites3#c-- ,copper plates4 ,a hand-vice4 ,ordinary etching-ground and transparent ground in balls4 ,liquid stopping-out varnish4 ,brushes of different sizes4 ,two dabbers1--one for the ordinary varnish1 the other for the white or transparent varnish4 ,a wax taper4 ,a needle-holder4 ,needles of various sizes4 ,a dry point4 ,a burnisher4 ,a scraper4 ,an oil-stone of best quality4 ,a lens or magnifying-glass4 ,bordering-wax4 ,an etching-trough made of gutta-percha or of porcelain4 ,india-rubber finger-gloves4 ,nitric acid of forty degrees4 ,tracing-paper4 ,gelatine in sheets4 ,chalk or sanguine4 ,emery paper1 ,no4 #jj or #jjj4 ,blotting-paper4 ,a roller for revarnishing1 with its accessories4 ,to these things we must add a supply of old rags4 #af4 ,quality and ,condition of ,tools and ,materials4--,too much care cannot be taken as regards the quality of the copper1 which metal is used by preference for etching4 ,soft copper bites slowly1 while on hard copper the acid acts more quickly and bites more deeply4 ,it is to be regretted that nowadays plates are generally rolled1 which does not give density enough to the metal4 ,formerly they were hammered1 and the copper was of a better quality4 ,thus hammered1 the metal becomes hard1 and is less porous2 its molecular condition is most favorable to the action of the acid1 the lines are purer1 and even when the work is carried to the extreme of delicacy1 it is sure to be preserved in the biting4 ,english copper plates1 and plates that have been replaned1 are excellent4 ,it is a good plan to buy thick plates1 of a dimension smaller than that of the designs to be made1 and to have them hammered out to the required size4 ,the plates thus obtained will not fail to be very good4 ,the vice must have a wooden handle1 so as to prevent burning the fingers4 ,to meet all possible emergencies1 lamp-black may be mixed with the liquid stopping-out varnish 7petit vernis liquide74 ,some engravers find that it dries too quickly1 and therefore1 fearing that it may chip off under the needle1 use it only for stopping out2 for retouching1 they employ a special retouching varnish 7vernis au pinceau74#d ,for brushes1 select such as are used in water-color painting4 ,the silk with which the dabbers are covered must be very fine in the thread4 ,in order to protect his fingers1 an engraver conceived the idea of smoking his plates by means of the ends of several candles or wax tapers placed together in the bottom of a little vessel3 they furnish an abundance of smoke1 and can be extinguished by covering up the vessel4 ,the smoke of a wax taper is the best2 it is excellent for small plates4 ,the needle-holder holds short points of various thicknesses1 down to the fineness of sewing-needles4 ,to sharpen an etching-needle1 pass it over the oil-stone1 holding it down flat1 and turning it continually4 ,when it has attained a high degree of sharpness1 describe a large circle with it on a piece of card-board1 holding it fixed between the fingers this time1 and go on describing circles of a continually decreasing size4 ,the nearer you approach to the centre1 the more vertical must be the position of the needle4 ,the fineness or the coarseness of the point is regulated by keeping the needle away from1 or bringing it nearer to1 the central point4 ,the dry point must be ground with flat faces rather than round1 so as to cut the copper1 and penetrate it with ease4 ,if the burnisher is not sufficiently polished1 it scratches the copper1 and produces black spots in the proofs4 ,to keep it in good condition1 cut two grooves1 the size of the burnisher1 in a piece of pine board4 ,rub it up and down the first of these grooves1 containing emery powder2 and then1 to give it its final lustre1 repeat the same process1 with tripoli and oil1 in the second groove4 ,the stones which are too hard for razors are excellent for the scrapers4 ,having sharpened the scraper with a little oil1 during which operation you must hold it down flat on the stone1 pass it over your finger-nail4 ,if the touch discloses the presence of the least bit of tooth1 and if the tool does not glide along with the greatest ease1 the grinding must be continued1 as otherwise the scraper will scratch the copper4 ,you are at liberty to use two troughs1--one for the acid bath2 the other1 filled with water1 for washing the plate4 ,a glass funnel1 and a bottle with a ground-glass stopper1 will be necessary for filling in and keeping the etching liquid4 ,various substances are used for finishing off the copper plates2 the most natural is the paste obtained by rubbing charcoal on the oil-stone with oil4 ,then comes the fine emery paper ,nos4 #jj or #jjj1 rotten-stone1 tripoli1 ,english red1 and1 finally1 slate4 ,powdered slate1 produced by simply scraping with a knife1 is excellent1 used with oil and a fine rag1 the same as other substances4 ,the varnish for revarnishing is nothing but ordinary etching-ground1 dissolved in oil of lavender4 ,it must be about as stiff as honey in winter4 ,the rollers for revarnishing1 which can be had of different sizes1 are cylindrical in form1 and are terminated by two handles1 which revolve in the hands4 ,the roller ought1 if possible1 to cover the whole surface of the copper4#e ,as soon as it has been used1 it must be put out of the way of the dust4 ,these various recommendations are by no means unnecessary1 as the least material obstacle may sometimes hinder the flight of the imagination4 ,it is well to be armed against all the troublesome vexations of the handicraft2 for the difficulties of the art are in themselves sufficient to occupy our attention4 ,b4 ,,preparing ,,the ,,plate4 ,i shall now proceed to give the various talks which ,i had with my young pupil4 #ag4 ,laying the ,ground1 or ,varnishing4--,you have here a plate1 ,i say to him2 ,i clean it with turpentine2 then1 having well wiped it with a piece of fine linen1 and having still further cleaned it by rubbing it with ,spanish white 7or whiting71 ,i fasten it into the vice by one of its edges1 taking care to place a tolerably thick piece of paper under the teeth of the vice1 so as to protect the copper against injury4 ,i now hold the plate with its back over this chafing-dish2 but a piece of burning paper1 or the flame of a spirit-lamp1 will do equally well4 ,as soon as the plate is sufficiently heated1 ,i place upon its polished surface this ball of ordinary etching-ground1 wrapped up in a piece of plain taffeta2 the heat causes the ground to melt4 ,if the plate is too hot1 the varnish commences to boil while melting2 in that case1 we must allow the plate to cool somewhat1 as otherwise the ground will be burned4 ,i pass the ball over the whole surface of the copper1 taking care not to overcharge the plate with the ground4 ,then1 with the dabber1 ,i dab it in all directions2 at first1 vigorously and quickly1 so as to spread and equalize the layer of varnish2 and finally1 as the varnish cools1 ,i apply the dabber more delicately4 ,the appearance of inequalities1 and of little protruding points in the ground1 indicates that it is laid on too thick1 and the dabbing must be continued1 until we have obtained a perfectly homogeneous layer4 ,this must be very thin1--sufficient to resist strong biting1 and yet allowing the point to draw the very finest lines1 which it will be difficult to do with too much varnish4 #ah4 ,smoking4--,without waiting for the plate to cool1 ,i turn it over1 and present its varnished side to the smoke of a torch or a wax taper1 which ,i hold at a distance of about two centimetres from the plate1 so as not to injure the varnish4 ,i keep moving the flame about in all directions1 to avoid burning the varnish 7which latter would take place if the flame remained too long at the same point71 and thus ,i obtain a brilliant black surface4 ,all the transparency is gone2 we see neither copper nor varnish1 and this is a sign that our operation has succeeded4 ,all we need do now is to allow the plate to cool and the varnish to harden1 and then you can commence making your drawing4 ,you call my attention to the fact that the varnish1 in cooling1 loses the brilliancy which it had in its liquid state4 ,this is always the case4 ,and see the perfect neatness and evenness of the varnished and smoked surface6 ,here is a plate which was spoiled in the smoking4 ,the first thing that strikes us is that we see the marks left by the passage of the taper4 ,at a pinch1 these marks might1 perhaps1 be no inconvenience to us in working2 but here the brilliant black is broken by very dull spots4 ,these are places in which the varnish was burned2 it will scale off under the needle1 and has lost the power of resisting the acid4 ,we must therefore clean this plate with spirits of turpentine1 and commence operations afresh4 ,the ground is blackened1 because its natural transparency does not permit us to see the work of the point4 ,this work produces what might be called a negative design2 that is to say1 a design in bright lines on a black ground4 ,this is rather perplexing at first1 but you will soon become accustomed to it4 ,c4 ,,drawing ,,on ,,the ,,plate ,,with ,,the ,,needle4 #ai4 ,the ,transparent ,screen4--,you must place yourself so as to face this window1 and between you and it we must introduce1 in an inclined position1 a transparent screen made of tracing paper stretched on a wooden frame1 which will prevent your seeing the window4 ,this screen will soften and strain the light2 it will reduce the reflection of the copper1 and will allow you to see what you are doing4 ,in designing on the plate out of doors1 the screen is unnecessary1 since1 as the light falls equally upon the copper from all directions1 the reflection is done away with1 and the copper does not dazzle the eye as it does when the light emanates from a single source4 #bj4 ,needles or ,points4--,you may use a single needle1 or you may use several of different degrees of sharpness1 even down to sewing-needles1 as you will see later on2 but your work on the plate will always look uniform1 without distance and without relief4 ,the modelling and coloring of the design must be left to the acid4 ,the point must be held on the plate as perpendicularly as possible1 as the purity of the line depends on the angle of incidence which the point makes with the copper2 furthermore1 it must be possible to direct it freely and easily in all directions1 and it is1 therefore1 necessary that the needle should not be too sharp4 ,to make sure of this1 draw a number of eights on the margin of your plate1 or simply an oblique line from below upwards in the direction of the needle4 ,if it does not glide along easily1 if it attacks the copper and catches in it1 you must regrind it4 ,this is important1 as in principle the function of the needle is to trace the design by removing the varnish from the copper1 while it must avoid scratching it4 ,by scratching the metal we encroach on the domain of the acid1 and inequality of work is the result1 since the acid acts more vigorously on those parts which have been scratched than on those which have simply been laid bare4 ,we must feel the copper under the point1 without1 however1 penetrating into it4 ,the opposite effect is produced if we operate too timidly4 ,in this case we do not reach the copper4 ,we remove the blackened surface1 and it seems as if we had also removed the varnish1 since we see the copper shining through it4 ,but we shall find later1 from the fact that the acid does not bite1 that we did not bear heavily enough on the needle4 ,at first there is a tendency to proceed as in drawing on paper1 giving greater lightness to the touch of the point in the distances1 and bearing on it more vigorously in the foregrounds4 ,but this is useless4 ,there are certain artists1 nevertheless1 who prefer to attack the copper with cutting points in the finer as well as in the more vigorous parts of their work1 and to bite in with strong acid2 others1 again1 dig resolutely into the copper wherever they desire to produce a powerful tone4 ,abraham ,bosse1 in applying etching to line-engraving1 advises his readers to cut the copper slightly in the lines which are to appear fine1 and to dig vigorously into the plate for those lines which are to be very heavy1 so that delicate as well as strong work may be obtained at one and the same biting4 ,as it is necessary in this sort of engraving to retouch the heavy lines with the burin1 we can understand that in the way shown the work of the instrument named may be facilitated4 #ba4 ,temperature of the ,room4--,in summer the temperature softens the varnish1 and the needle works pliantly and easily2 in winter the cold hardens the varnish1 so that it is apt to scale off under the point1 especially at the crossing of the lines4 ,it is advisable1 therefore1 to have your room well heated1 or to supply yourself with two cast-metal plates or two lithographic stones1 or even two bricks1 if you please1 which must be warmed and placed under your plate alternately1 so as to keep it at a soft and uniform temperature4 ,practice has shown that work done at the right temperature is softer than that executed when the varnish is too cold1 even if it is not sufficiently so to scale off4 #bb4 ,the ,tracing4--,according to the kind of work to be done1 we shall either draw directly on the plate1 or1 in the case of a drawing which is to be copied of its own size1 we shall make use of a tracing4 ,many engravers emancipate themselves from the tracing1 and accustom themselves to reversing the original while they copy it4 ,the manner of using a tracing is well known4 ,we shall need tracing-paper1 paper rubbed with sanguine on one side1 and a pencil4 ,the tracing is made on the tracing-paper1 and this is afterwards placed on the prepared plate2 between the tracing and the plate we introduce the paper rubbed with sanguine2 then1 with a very fine lead-pencil1 or with a somewhat blunt needle1 we go carefully over the lines of the design1 which1 under the gentle pressure of the tool1 is thus transferred in red to the black ground4 ,it is unnecessary to use much pressure1 as otherwise your tracing will be obscured by the sanguine and you will find neither precision nor delicacy in it4 ,furthermore1 you run the risk of injuring the ground4 ,the tracing is used simply to indicate the places where the lines are to be1 and it must be left to the needle to define them4 #bc4 ,reversing the ,design4--,whenever your task is the interpretation of an object of fixed aspect1 such as a monument1 or some well-known scene1 or human beings in a given attitude1 you will be obliged to reverse the drawing on your plate1 as otherwise it will appear reversed in the proof4 ,you must1 therefore1 reverse your tracing1 which is a very easy matter1 as the design is equally visible on both sides of the tracing-paper4 ,gelatine in sheets1 however1 offers still greater advantages when a design is to be reversed4 ,place the gelatine on the design1 and1 as it is easily scratched1 make your tracing with a very fine-pointed and sharp needle1 occasionally slipping a piece of black paper underneath the gelatine to assure yourself that you have omitted nothing4 ,the point1 in scratching the gelatine1 raises a bur1 and this must be removed gently with a paper stump1 or with the scraper1 after which operation the tracing is rubbed in with powdered sanguine4 ,having now thoroughly cleaned the sheet1 so that no powder is left anywhere but in the furrows1 we turn the sheet over and lay it down on the plate1 and finally rub it on its back in all directions1 for which purpose we use the burnisher dipped in oil4 ,the design1 reversed1 will be found traced on the varnish in extremely fine lines4 #bd4 ,use of the ,mirror4--,the tracing finished1 place a mirror before your plate on the table1 and as close by as possible2 between the plate and the mirror fix the design to be reproduced1 and then draw the reflected image4 ,for the sake of greater convenience1 take your position at right angles to the window instead of facing it1 so that the light passing through the transparent screen on your left falls on the mirror and the design1 as well as on your work4 ,when drawing on the copper from nature1 if the design is to be reversed1 you must place yourself with your back to the object to be drawn1 and so that you can easily see it in a small mirror set up before your plate4 ,this is the way ,meryon proceeded3 standing1 and holding in the same hand his plate and a little mirror1 which he always carried in his pocket1 he guided his point with the most absolute surety1 without any further support4 #be4 ,precautions to be observed while ,drawing4--,before you begin to draw you must trace the margin of your design1 for the guidance of the printer4 ,to protect your plate1 it will be necessary to cover it with very soft paper2 the pressure of the hand does no harm1 provided you avoid rubbing the varnish4 ,if you should happen to damage it1 you must close up the brilliant little dots which you will observe1 by touching them up1 very lightly and with a very fine brush1 with stopping-out varnish4 #bf4 ,directions for ,drawing with the ,needle4--,i might now let you copy some very simple etching2 but your knowledge of drawing will1 ,i believe1 enable you to try your hand at a somewhat more important exercise4 ,let us suppose1 then1 that you are to draw a landscape1 although the practice you are about to acquire applies to all other subjects equally well4 ,will you reproduce this design by ,claude ,lorrain8 7,pl4 ,,ii47 ,it is a composition full of charm and color1 and very harmonious in effect4 ,use only one needle1 and keep your work close together in the distance and more open in the foreground4 7,see ,pl4 ,ia47 ,that appears paradoxical to you2 but the nitric acid will soon tell you why this is so4 ,i shall indicate to you1 after your plate has been bitten1 those cases in which you will have to proceed differently1 or1 in other words1 in which you will have to draw your lines nearer together or farther apart without regard to the different distances4 ,i cannot explain this subject more fully before you have become acquainted with the process of biting in1 as without this knowledge it must remain unintelligible to you4 ,this remark holds good1 also1 of what ,i have told you on the subject of the needles of different degrees of sharpness4 ,it is curious1 my dear sir1 to notice how at one and the same time the point combines a certain degree of softness and of precision2 those who draw with the pen ought also to be admirers of etching4 ,it seems to me1 however1 that my lines are too thick2 ,i have already laid several of them1 and the varnish is no longer visible2 ,i am afraid ,i have taken it up altogether4 ,you need not feel any uneasiness about that2 it is simply owing to the irradiation of the copper1 the brilliancy of which the screen does not completely subdue4 ,the bright line is made to look broader than it really is by the brilliant gloss of the metal4 ,but if you lay a piece of tracing-paper on the plate you will see the lines as they really are2 that is to say1 with plenty of space between them4 ,by the aid of a lens you can convince yourself still more easily2 you will often have occasion to avail yourself of this instrument to enable you to do fine work with greater facility1 or to give you a better insight into what you have already done4 ,as the irradiation of which we have just spoken is apt to deceive us in regard to the quantity of the work done1 we may happen to find less of it than we expected when the plate has been bitten4 ,plates which to the beginner seem to be quite elaborately worked1 present to the acid lines widely spaced and insufficient in number1 thus necessitating retouches4 ,it is essential1 therefore1 in principle 7except in the special cases to be pointed out hereafter71 to give to our work1 in its first stages1 all the development that is necessary4 ,i forgot to tell you that you must provide yourself with a very soft brush1 say a badger1 which1 from time to time1 you must pass lightly over your plate so as to remove the small particles of varnish raised by the needle4 ,otherwise you will not be able to see properly what you have been doing4 ,continue1 and follow your own feeling2 work away without fear of going wrong2 some of your errors you will be able to remedy4 ,thus1 if you have made a mistake1 you can lay a thin coat of liquid varnish over the spoiled part by means of a brush2 in a few seconds the varnish will have dried1 and you can make your correction4 ,you can employ this method for the correction of a faulty line1 or to restore a place which should have remained white1 but which you have inadvertently shaded4 ,here ,i shall stop for the present1 and shall close by saying1 ,may good luck attend your point1 as well as your acid6 ,there is nothing more to be said to you until after your plate has been bitten4 ,,chapter ,,iii4 ,,biting4 #bg4 ,bordering the ,plate4--,this work took some time4 ,our young student1 impatient to see the transformation wrought by the acid1 came back without keeping me waiting for him4 ,hurry up6 ,a tray1 acid1 and all the accessories6 ,instead of using a tray1 ,i tell him1 we can avail ourselves of another method1 which is used by many engravers1 and which consists in bordering the plate with wax4 ,this wax1#f having been softened in warm water1 is flattened out into long strips1 and is fastened hermetically and vertically around the edges of the plate1 so that1 when hardened1 it forms the walls of a vessel1 the bottom of which is represented by the design drawn with the point4 ,to avoid dangerous leaks1 heat a key1 and pass it along the wax where it adheres to the plate2 the wax melts1 and1 on rehardening1 offers all possible guarantees of solidity4 ,we now pour the acid on the plate thus converted into a tray1 and as we have taken care to form a lip in one of the angles made by the bordering wax1 it is an easy matter to pour off the liquid after each biting4 ,this proceeding is useful in the case of plates which are too large for the tray4 ,otherwise1 however1 ,i prefer a tray made of gutta-percha or porcelain4 #bh4 ,the ,tray4--,let us now install ourselves at this table1 and let us cover the margin and the back of the plate with a thick coat of stopping-out varnish4 ,as soon as the varnish is perfectly dry1 we place the plate into the tray standing horizontally on the table1 and pour on acid enough to cover it to the height of about a centimetre4 ,this depth1 which is sufficient for biting1 allows the eye to follow the process in its various stages4 #bi4 ,strength of the ,acid4--,this acid is fresh1 and has not yet been used2 bought at forty degrees1 ,i mix it with an equal quantity of water1 which reduces it to twenty degrees4 ,this is the strength generally adopted for ordinary biting4 ,its color is clear1 and slightly yellow2 but as soon as it takes up the copper it becomes blue1 and then green4 ,as1 in its present state1 it would act too impetuously1 ,i add to it a small quantity of acid which has been used before4 ,you may also throw a few scraps of copper into it the day before using it2 the old etchers used for this purpose a copper coin1 larger or smaller1 according to the volume of the bath4#g #cj4 ,label your ,bottles6--,one day1 one of my pupils1 having a bad cold1 did not notice the difference between the smell of the acid and that of the turpentine1 and so plunged a plate which he desired to bite1 into a bath of the latter fluid4 ,it's queer1 he said1 this won't bite1 and yet the varnish scales off4444 ,the lines keep enlarging1 and run into one another6 ,what does this curious medley mean1 which appears on the plate8 ,it was simple enough4 ,the spirits of turpentine had dissolved the ground1 and consequently the plate developed a shining and radiating surface before the eyes of our wondering student1 as if it had just left the hands of the plate-maker4 ,advice to those who are absent-minded1 and who are liable to mistake fluids which look alike for one another1--,label your bottles6 #ca4 ,the ,first ,biting4--,let us make haste now1 ,i say to my pupil1 to do our biting4 ,as the heat of the day abates1 the acid becomes less active2 and besides1 to judge by the delicate character of the original we are to render1 we shall need at least two or three hours1 all told1 for this operation4 ,the task before us consists in the reproduction of a given work1 the merit of which lies in the gradation in the various distances4 ,it needs time and attention to be able to carry all the necessary processes successfully into practice4 ,it will be plain to you1 from what ,i have just said1 that the operation you are about to engage in is one of the most delicate in the etcher's practice4 ,there is the plate in the acid2 the liquid has taken hold of the copper2 but your sky must be light1 and a prolonged corrosion would therefore be hurtful to it4 ,hence we take the plate out of the bath1 pass it through pure water1 so that no acid is left in the lines1 and cover it with several sheets of blotting-paper1 which1 being pressed against it by the hand1 dries the plate4 ,we shall have to go through the same process after each partial biting1 because if the plate were moist1 the stopping-out varnish which we are going to apply to it would not adhere4 #cb4 ,the ,use of the ,feather4--,you noticed the lively ebullitions on the plate1 which took place twice in succession4 ,after the first1 ,i passed this feather lightly over the copper1 to show you its use4 ,its vane removed the bubbles which adhered to the lines4 ,this precaution is necessary1 especially when the ebullitions acquire some intensity and are prolonged1 to facilitate the biting1 as the gas by which the bubbles are formed keeps the acid out of the lines4 ,if these bubbles are not destroyed1 the absence of biting in the lines is shown in the proofs by a series of little white points4 ,such points are noticeable in some of the plates etched by ,perelle1 who1 it seems1 ignored this precaution4 #cc4 ,stopping ,out4--,the two rapid ebullitions which you saw may serve you as a standard of measurement2 the biting produced by them must be very light1 and sufficient for the tone of the sky4 ,you may1 therefore1 cover the entire sky with stopping-out varnish by means of a brush1 taking care to stop short just this side of the outlines of the other distances4 ,the importance of mixing lamp-black with your stopping-out varnish to thicken it1 comes in just here2 because if it remained in its liquid state1 it might be drawn by capillary attraction into the lines of those parts which you desire to reserve1 and thus1 by obstructing them1 might stop the biting in places where it ought to continue4 ,wait till the varnish has become perfectly dry2 you can assure yourself of this by breathing upon it2 if it remains brilliant1 it is still soft1 and the acid will eat into it2 but as soon as it is dry it will assume a dull surface under your breath4#h #cd4 ,effect of ,temperature on ,biting4--,let us now return the plate to the bath1 to obtain the values of the other distances4 ,the temperature has a great effect on the intensity of the ebullitions1 and it is hardly possible to depend on it absolutely as a fixed basis on which to rest a calculation of the time necessary for each biting1 as its own variability renders it difficult to appreciate the aid to be received from it4 ,in winter1 for instance1 with the same strength of acid1 it needs four or five times as much time to reach the same result as in summer1 so that on very hot days the biting progresses so rapidly that the plate cannot be lost sight of for a single moment without risk of over-biting4 ,illustration3 ,pl4 ,ia4 #ce4 ,biting continued4--,we have now obtained several moderate ebullitions1 and as it would not do to exaggerate the tone of the mountain in the background1 it is time to withdraw the plate once more4 ,uncover a single line by removing the ground1 either with the nail of your finger or with a very small brush dipped into spirits of turpentine1 to examine whether it is deeply enough bitten for the distance which it is to represent4 ,if the depth is not sufficient1 cover it with stopping-out varnish1 and bite again4 ,this is not necessary1 however1 in our present case1 and you may therefore stop out the whole background4 ,remember1 if you please1 that the line must look less heavy than it is to show in the proof2 for you must take into account the black color of the printing-ink4 ,with your brush go over the edges of the trees which are to be relieved rather lightly against the sky1 as well as over that part of the shadow in this tower which blends with the light4 ,there are also some delicate passages in the figure of the woman in the foreground1 in the details of the plants1 and in the folds of this tent 7,pl4 ,ia74 ,stop out all these1 and do not lose sight of the values of the original 7,pl4 ,,ii474 ,make use of the brush to revarnish several places which are scaling off on the margin and the back of the plate4 ,the temperature is favorable2 the ebullitions come on without letting us wait long1 and the plate is bluing rapidly4 ,i do not like to see these operations drag on2 in winter1 therefore1 ,i do my biting near the fire4 ,we soon acquire a passion for biting1 and take an ever-growing interest in it1 which is incessantly sharpened by thinking of the result to which we aspire4 ,hence the desire of constant observation1 and that assiduity in following all the phases of the biting-in4 ,i notice that the acid does not act on certain parts of your work2 you will find out soon enough what that means4 #cf4 ,treatment of the ,various ,distances4--,i am thinking just now of what you told me in regard to the background3--that more work ought to be put into it than into the foreground4 ,nothing1 indeed1 is simpler4 ,you understand that the background1 which is bitten in quite lightly1 must show very delicate lines1 while in the middle distance and in the foreground the lines are enlarged by the action of successive bitings4 ,when it comes to the printing1 the quantity of ink received by these various lines will be in proportion to the values which you desired to obtain1 and in the proofs you will have a variety of lighter or stronger tones1 giving you the needed gradations in the various distances4 ,it follows from this that1 if you had worked too sparingly on the distances which receive only a light biting1 you could not have reached the value of the tone which you strove to get1 and if you had worked too closely on those parts which require continued biting1 you would have had a black and indistinct tone1 because the lines1 which are enlarged by the acid1 and consequently keep approaching one another1 would finally have run together into one confused mass1 producing what in ,french is called a creve 7blotch74 ,in an etching the space between the lines must be made to serve a purpose2 for the paper seen between the black strokes gives delicacy1 lightness1 and transparency of tone4 #cg4 ,the ,creve4--,its ,advantages and ,disadvantages4--,in very skilled hands the creve is a means of effect4 ,if you wish to obtain great depth in a group of trees1 in a wall1 in very deep shadows1 you will risk nothing by intermingling your lines picturesquely and biting them vigorously4 ,in this way you can produce tones of velvety softness1 and at the same time of extraordinary vigor4 ,similarly1 you may strike a fine note by means of running together several lines which1 if sufficiently bitten1 will form but a single broad one of great solidity and power4 ,it is1 indeed1 only the exaggeration of this expedient1 which1 by unduly enlarging the limits of the broad line just spoken of1 and thus producing a large and deep surface between them1 constitutes the creve properly so called2 the printing ink has no hold in this flat hollow1 and a gray spot in the proof is the result4 ,i have warned you of the accident2 later on you shall hear something of the remedy4 ,we will now continue our biting4 ,plunge your plate into the bath again1 if you please4 #ch4 ,means of ascertaining the ,depth of the ,lines4--,my dear sir1 ,i see that my drawing turns black2 it disappears almost entirely1 and is lost in the color of the ground4#i ,i am quite perplexed4 ,my mind endeavors to penetrate beneath this varnish1 so as to be able to witness the mysterious birth of my oeuvre4 ,see these violent ebullitions6 ,what do you think of them8 ,let them go on a moment longer1 and then withdraw your plate4 ,we have now arrived at a point where the eye cannot judge of the work of the acid as easily as before2 henceforth we must1 therefore1 examine the depth of our bitings by uncovering a single line1 as1 for instance1 this one here in the ground4 ,or we may even lay bare1 by the aid of spirits of turpentine1 a part of the foreground1 provided1 however1 that we must not forget to cover it again with the brush4 ,this will give us an idea of the total effect so far produced by the biting1 and we can then regulate the partial bitings which are still to follow1 either by a comparison of the time employed on those that have gone before1 or by the intensity of the ebullitions1 the action of which on the copper we have already studied4 ,you perceive that1 while it is difficult to fix a standard of time for the bitings at the beginning of the operation1 it is yet possible to calculate those to come by what we have so far done4 #ci4 ,the ,rules which govern the ,biting are subordinated to various ,causes4--,in reality1 it is impossible to establish fixed rules for the biting1 for the following reasons3-- #a4 ,owing to the varying intensity of the stroke of the needle4 ,the etcher who confines himself to gently baring his copper must bite longer than he who attacks his plate more vigorously1 and therefore exposes it more to the action of the acid4 #b4 ,owing to the different quality of the plates4 #c4 ,owing to the difference in temperature of the surrounding air3--of this we have before spoken4 #d4 ,owing to difference of strength in the acid1 as it is impossible always to have it of absolutely the same number of degrees4 ,at #ae deg4 to #ah deg4 the biting is gentle and slow2 at #bj deg4 it is moderate2 at #bb deg4 to #bd deg4 it becomes more rapid4 ,it would be dangerous to employ a still higher degree for the complete biting-in of a plate1 especially in the lighter parts4 #dj4 ,strong ,acid and ,weak ,acid4--,it is1 nevertheless1 possible to put such strong acid to good service4 ,a fine gray tint may1 for instance1 be imparted to a well-worked sky by passing a broad brush over it1 charged with acid at #dj deg4 ,but the operation must be performed with lightning speed1 and the plate must instantly be plunged into pure water4 ,as a corollary of the fourth cause1 it is well to know that an acid overcharged with copper loses much of its force1 although it remains at the same degree4 ,thus an acid taken at #bj deg41 but heavily charged with copper from having been used1 will be found to be materially enfeebled1 and to bite more slowly than fresh acid at #ae deg4 to #ah deg4 ,to continue to use it in this condition would be dangerous1 because there is no longer any affinity between the liquid and the copper1 and if1 under such circumstances1 you were to trust to the appearance of biting 7which would be interminable1 besides71 you would find1 on removing the varnish1 that the plate had merely lost its polish where the lines ought to be1 without having been bitten4 ,it is best1 therefore1 always to do your biting with fresh acid1 constantly renewed1 as the results will be more equal1 and you will become habituated to certain fixed conditions4 ,some engravers1 of impetuous spirit and impatient of results1 do their biting with acid of a high degree1 while others1 more prudent1 prefer slow biting1 which eats into the copper uniformly and regularly1 and hence they employ a lower degree4 ,in this way the varnish remains intact1 and there is not that risk of losing the purity of line which always attends the employment of a stronger acid4 #da4 ,strength of ,acid in relation to certain ,kinds of ,work4--,experience has also shown that1 with the same proportion in the time employed1 the values are accentuated more quickly and more completely by a strong than by a mild acid2 this manifests itself at the confluence of the lines1 where the acid would play mischief if the limit of time were overstepped4 ,another effect of biting which follows from the preceding1 is noticeable in lines drawn far apart4 ,of isolated lines the acid takes hold very slowly1 and they may therefore be executed with a cutting point and bitten in with tolerably strong acid4 ,the reverse takes place when the lines are drawn very closely together2 the biting is very lively4 ,work of this kind1 therefore1 demands a needle of moderate sharpness and a mild acid4 ,hence1 interweaving lines and very close lines are bitten more deeply by the same acid than lines drawn parallel to each other1 and widely spaced1 although they may all have been executed with the same needle4 ,if1 in an architectural subject1 you have drawn the lines with the same instrument1 but far apart on one side1 and closely and crossing each other on the other1 you must not let them all bite the same length of time1 if you wish them to hold the same distance4 ,it will be necessary to stop out the latter before the former1 otherwise you will have a discordant difference in tone4 ,there will be inequality in the biting1 but it will not be perceptible to the eye1 as the general harmony has been preserved4 7,see ,pl4 ,,iv4 ,fig4 #a47 ,in short1 strong acid rather widens than deepens the lines2 mild acid1 on the contrary1 eats into the depth of the copper1 and produces lines which are shown in relief on the paper1 and are astonishingly powerful in color4 ,this is especially noticeable in the etchings of ,piranesi1 who used hard varnish4 #db4 ,last ,stages of ,biting4--,but let us return to our operation4 ,you noticed that ,i allowed your plate to bite quite a while2 this was necessary to detach your foreground and middle-ground vigorously from the sky and the background4 ,you may now stop out the trees1 the tower1 and the tent in the middle-ground1 and the vertical part of the bridge1 which is in half-tint1 and then proceed4 ,note that the number of bitings is not fixed1 but depends on the effect to be reached4 ,in that case it is to be hoped1 for the sake of my apprentice hands1 that ,i shall never have many bitings to do4 ,just look at my fingers6 ,they are in a nice state4 ,the prettiest yellow skin you ever saw6 ,oh1 don't let that color trouble you2 it will be all black by to-morrow4 ,much obliged to you for this bit of consolation6 ,besides1 it will take you a week to grow a new skin4 ,in future you must soak your fingers in pure water whenever you have got them into the acid4 ,you might have used india-rubber finger-gloves2 they are excellent to keep the hands clean1 but it is not worth while to trouble about them for the present1 as we are almost done4#aj ,i think you may now stop out all that remains1 with the exception of the darkest places in the foreground1 to which we must give a final biting4 ,there6 ,now we've got it6 ,withdraw your plate for the last time1 and as there are some very widely spaced lines in this tree in the foreground1 you will risk nothing by giving them a final touch with pure acid4 ,the strongest accent in the landscape rests on this spot2 it determines the color of the whole4 ,by this application of pure acid we shall get a vigorous tone1 a powerful effect4 ,i may as well tell you here that it is sometimes advisable to add a small quantity of pure acid to the bath towards the end of the operation1 so as to increase the activity of the biting on certain parts of the plate without running into excess4 ,but as the place now under consideration is restricted1 we shall adopt another means1 so as to limit the action of the acid to the given point4 ,see here3 ,i let fall a few drops2 the pure acid eats into the copper with great vehemence2 the metal turns green1 and the ebullition subsides4 ,now take up the exhausted liquid with a piece of blotting-paper1 and let us commence again4 ,under these newly added drops of fresh acid1 the varnish is ready to scale off1 the lines sputter1 and assume a strange yellow color2 these golden vapors announce that the operation is finished4 ,what follows1 is the task of the printer2 his press will tell us whether we have won1 or whether we have been mated4 ,clean the plate with spirits of turpentine1 using your fingers1 or with a very clean old rag 7calico1 if possible71 if you are afraid to soil your hands4 ,be sure to have the plate well cleaned1 but take care not to scratch it4 ,the acid1 which may be of use hereafter1 we will turn into a glass bottle with a ground stopper1 and will store it in some safe place4 ,,chapter ,,iv4 ,,finishing ,,the ,,plate4 #dc4 ,omissions4--,insufficiency of the ,work so far done4--,the result you have obtained1 ,i tell my pupil1 as he shows a proof of the first state of his plate to me1 is not final4 ,your work needs a few retouches and slight modifications1 not counting the little irregularities which ,i had foreseen1 and which it will be easy enough to repair4 ,we will proceed in order4 7,see ,pl4 ,ia74 ,to commence with1 here are certain parts which are sufficiently bitten1 and which1 nevertheless1 are indecisive in tone1 and do not hold their place4 ,i allude to the columns and to the trees in the further distance2 one feels that there is something wanting there1 which must be added4 ,you must1 therefore1 re-cover your plate1 in the manner already known to you1 either with transparent ground1 or with ordinary etching-ground1 just as if the plate had never yet been touched by the needle4 #dd4 ,transparent ,ground for ,retouching4--,the white or transparent ground or varnish#aa admirably allows all previous work to show through4 ,it is preferred to the ordinary ground for working over parts that have been insufficiently bitten1 on account of its transparency1 which leaves even the finest lines visible1 while under the ordinary ground these lines might be lost entirely4 ,it will be an easy matter for you to combine the new work with the old2 the very slight shadow thrown on the copper by the transparent ground will give a blackish appearance to your lines1 which may serve as a guide to you1 and1 with your proof before your eyes1 you will readily succeed in finding the places which need retouching4 ,to make assurance doubly sure1 you can indicate the retouches on your proof with a lead-pencil4 ,the transparent ground has occasionally been found to crack and scale off1 when left in the bath for a long while1 or when strong acid is used4 ,but as you are only going to use it for light and1 consequently1 short biting1 you need not fear this danger4 ,another inconvenience1 which may easily be prevented1 consists in the presence of small bubbles of air1 which appear on the varnish as soon as it begins to melt4 ,heat the plate just to the proper point of melting1 and dab it vigorously for some length of time1 until the varnish cools2 then hold the back of the plate flat to the fire2 the varnish melts again1 and the rest of the bubbles disappear4 ,if some of them should prove to be obstinate1 cover them very lightly with the brush1 as otherwise the acid will penetrate through the passages thus left open1 and will make little holes in the copper1 which1 on removing the varnish1 will cause an unpleasant surprise4 ,you shall hear more of this further on4 #de4 ,ordinary ,ground used for ,retouching4--,biting the ,retouches4--,ordinary etching-ground1 such as we used in the first instance1 does not show the work previously done as well as the transparent ground1 but the later additions are seen all the better on it4 ,it may be used in its natural state1 or it may be smoked4 ,it is preferable to the transparent varnish1 whenever the work already achieved is deeply bitten1 and hence easily seen4 ,in the present case my advice is that you use the ordinary ground4 ,having made your retouches1 introduce your plate into the bath1 and proceed as before1 by partial biting1 endeavoring1 as much as possible1 to obtain the same intensity of tone4 ,these additions1 thus bitten by themselves1 will mingle with the lines previously drawn1 and now protected by the varnish4 ,it is hardly possible to judge of the additions1 especially on transparent varnish1 until they have been bitten in4 ,but1 if you should then find that you have not yet reached your point1 you can revarnish the plate once more1 and complete the parts that appear to be unfinished4 ,i must also call your attention to the fact1 that all lines drawn on transparent ground seem to thicken most singularly1 as soon as the acid begins to work4 ,but do not let that deceive you4 ,now look at this spot in the immediate foreground 7,pl4 ,ia71 which has a somewhat coarse appearance4 ,it is much softer in the original 7represented by ,pl4 ,,ii474 ,you must add a few lines1 and must bite them rather lightly2 they will mingle agreeably with the energetic lines of the first state4 ,you may put the large trees through the same process1 and you will find that they gain in lightness by it4 ,later on1 when you have acquired more experience1 you will occasionally find it handy to make these additions between two bitings4 ,you will thus reach the desired result without the necessity of regrounding your plate4 ,sometimes1 when using strong acid for these retouches1 the lines first drawn are also attacked by the liquid4 ,in that case1 stop the biting immediately1 and rest contented with what you have got4 ,it is not difficult to understand why these revarnished lines should commence to bite again1 more especially if they are deep3 the acid1 finding the edges of the lines 7which are sharp and angular1 and therefore do not offer much hold to the varnish7 but indifferently protected1 attacks them1 without going into their depths4 ,the ravages thus committed along the edges of the lines may be quite disastrous2 and it is well1 therefore1 whenever you revarnish a plate1 to give additional protection to those parts which are not to be retouched1 by going over them with stopping-out varnish4 #df4 ,revarnishing with the ,brush4--,instead of revarnishing with the dabber1 the ground may also be laid with the brush4 ,for this purpose you can use the stopping-out varnish mixed with lamp-black4 ,spread a coat of varnish all over the plate1 using a very soft brush2 if the copper should not be perfectly covered on the edges of the deeply etched lines1 add a second coat of varnish4 ,do not wait till the varnish has become too dry before you execute the retouches1 which1 of course1 must also be bitten in as usual4 ,mixed with lamp-black1 the stopping-out varnish allows even the finest lines to be seen1 which would not show as well if the varnish were used in its natural state4 ,many engravers use this varnish instead of the transparent ground4 #dg4 ,partial ,retouches4--,patching4--,for partial retouches and for patching the stopping-out varnish is also used1 but in a simpler and more expeditious way4 ,cover the part in question with a tolerably thick coat of varnish1 and when you have finished your retouch1 slightly moisten the lines with saliva1 to prevent the few drops of acid which you supply from your bath with the brush from running beyond the spot on which they are to act4 ,if pure acid is used1--which is still more expeditious1--the effervescence is stopped by dabbing with a piece of blotting-paper1 and the operation is repeated as long as the biting does not appear to be sufficient4 ,for very delicate corrections it is advisable not to wait until the first ebullition is over2 but it must be left to the feeling to indicate the most opportune moment for the application of the blotting-paper4 ,if you proceed rapidly and cautiously1 you can obtain extremely fine lines in this way1 as you have had occasion to see under other circumstances 7see paragraph #dj1 p4 #be74 ,you may recollect that ,i spoke of lines which had not bitten3 ,i alluded to this spot in the middle of the bridge 7see ,pl4 ,ia74 ,you did not bear on your needle sufficiently1 and hence it did not penetrate clear down to the copper2 consequently1 after having compared the proof of the first state with the original 7,pl4 ,,ii471 you must do the necessary patching according to the instructions just given to you4 #dh4 ,dry ,point4--,whenever it is necessary to retouch1 or to add to very delicate parts of the plate1 such as the extreme distance1 or any other part very lightly bitten1 it is safer to use the dry point1 as in such cases retouching by acid is a most difficult thing to do4 ,the tone must be hit exactly1 and without exaggeration4 ,your plate offers an opportunity for the use of the dry point3 the sky and the mountain are partly etched2 you can improve them by a few touches of the dry point4 ,the dry point is held in a perpendicular position1 and is used on the bare copper4 ,it must be ground with a cutting edge1 and very sharp1 so that it may freely penetrate into the copper1 and not merely scratch it4 ,you cut the line yourself1 regulating its depth by the amount of pressure used1 and according to the tone of the particular passage on which you are working4 ,for patching1 it is more frequently used in delicate passages than in others1 as1 even with great pressure1 the strength of a dry point line will always be below that of a line deeply bitten4 ,in printing1 the dry point line has less depth of color than the bitten line1 as the acid bites into the copper perpendicularly at right angles2 while the furrow produced by the dry point1 which offers only acute angles1 takes up less ink1 although it appears equally broad4 ,this inequality disappears if a plate in which etched lines and dry point work are intermingled is re-bitten2 the difference in tone is then equalized4 ,on the other hand1 the difference in the appearance of etched lines and dry point work produces curious effects4 ,thus1 if a passage which is too strong and appears to stand out is to be corrected1 a few touches of the dry point will be sufficient to soften it1 and to push it back to another distance4 ,the dry point is not only used for retouching2 it is sometimes employed1 without any etching1 to put in the whole background4 #di4 ,use of the ,scraper for removing the ,bur thrown up by the ,dry ,point4--,the dry point work being finished1 the bur thrown up by the instrument must be removed4 ,the bur is the ridge raised on the edge of the line1 as the point ploughs through the metal2 you can satisfy yourself of its existence by the touch4 ,in printing1 the ink catches in this ridge1 and produces blots4 ,the bur is removed by means of the scraper1 an instrument with a triangular blade1 one of the sides of which1 held flat1 is passed over the plate in the opposite direction to that of the stroke of the point1 and so as to take the line obliquely4 ,you need not feel any anxiety about injuring the plate2 the touch will tell you when the bur has disappeared4 ,in the case of dry point lines crossing one another1 each set running in a different direction must be drawn as well as scraped separately1 in the manner just described2 otherwise you will run the risk of closing the lines which cross the path of the scraper1 by turning the bur down into the furrows4 #ej4 ,reducing ,over-bitten ,passages4--,so much for the additions4 ,we will now pass on to the very opposite3 the shadow thrown by the parapet1 and the ground between the man and the woman1 have been over-bitten4 ,these parts do not harmonize with the neighboring parts1 and are stronger in tone than the corresponding parts of the original4 ,to remedy this1 there are four means at your command3-- ,the ,burnisher4 ,charcoal4 ,the ,scraper4 ,hammering out4 #ea4 ,the ,burnisher4--,as these passages are limited in extent1 and not very deeply bitten1 you may use the burnisher to reduce them4 ,moisten it with saliva1 and take only a small spot at a time1 holding the instrument down flat4 ,if you were to use only the end1 you might make a cavity in the copper4 ,the burnisher flattens and enlarges the surface of the copper1 and consequently diminishes the width of the line4 ,the tone1 therefore1 is reduced4 ,on fine1 close1 and equal work the burnisher does excellent service1 the effect being analogous to that of the crumb of bread on a design on paper4 ,it is less efficacious on deeply bitten work1 because it rounds off the edges of the lines as it penetrates into the furrows1 and thus detracts somewhat from the freshness of tone1--an unpleasant result1 which1 in very fine work1 is beyond the power of the eye to see4 ,you may use the burnisher to get rid of certain spots produced in the foliage by lines placed too closely together1 and by the same means you can reduce those exaggerated passages in the stone-work of the right-hand column4 ,you can also burnish these useless little blotches in the mountains4 #eb4 ,charcoal4--,whenever it is necessary to reduce the whole of a distance1 the use of charcoal is to be preferred4 ,charcoal made of willow1 or of other soft woods1 which can be had of the plate-makers1 is used flat1 impregnated with oil or water2 it must be freed from its bark1 as this would scratch the plate4 ,it wears the metal away uniformly1 and does not injure the crispness of the lines4 ,rub the passage to be reduced with the charcoal1 regulating the length of time by the degree of delicacy you desire to attain4 ,at the beginning soak your charcoal in water1 so as leave it more tooth2 then clean it1 and continue with oil1 which reduces the wear on the copper4 ,the eye is sufficient to judge of the wear2 the way in which the charcoal takes hold of the copper1 and the copper-colored spots which it shows1 may serve as guides4 ,as the effectiveness of the different kinds of charcoal varies1 these divers qualities of softness and coarseness are utilized according to the nature of the correction to be made4 ,it is well to know1 also1 that it takes hold much more actively if used in the direction of the grain1 than transversely4 ,you may1 according to circumstances1 commence with a piece of coal having considerable tooth1 continue with another that is less aggressive1 and wind up with a somewhat soft piece4 ,the heavier the charcoal the coarser its tooth1 the lightest being the softest4 ,the plate must be washed1 so as to keep the charcoal always clean2 as otherwise the dust produced1 which forms a paste1 will wear down the bottom of the furrows1 and the result1 in the proof1 will be dull and reddish lines4 ,charcoal is also used to remove the traces of the needle in those parts of the plate in which changes were made while the drawing was still in progress4 #ec4 ,the ,scraper4--,the scraper is more efficacious than the burnisher in the case of small places that have been deeply bitten4 ,if the scraper is sufficiently sharp1 it leaves no trace whatever on the lowered surface of the copper4 ,to sum up3-- ,charcoal and scraper are used to remove part of the surface of the copper4 ,the furrows1 having been reduced in depth1 receive less ink in printing2 the lines gain in delicacy in the impressions4 ,the burnisher simply displaces the copper2 charcoal and scraper wear it away4 ,it follows that they must be used with discernment4 #ed4 ,hammering ,out 7,repoussage74--,these three means are employed when a moderate lowering of the plate is required4 ,when it becomes necessary to go down to half the thickness of the plate or more1 the result will be a hollow1 which will show as a spot in printing4 ,in that case recourse is had to the fourth means2 that is to say1 to hammer and anvil4 ,get a pair of compasses with curved legs 7calipers72 let one of the legs rest on the spot to be hammered out2 the other leg will then indicate the place on the back of the plate which must be struck with the hammer on the anvil4 ,in this way places which have been reduced with charcoal or scraper may be brought up to the level of the plate2 but if the lines should be found to have been flattened1 which would result in a dull tone in the proofs1 it will be best to have the part in question planed out entirely1 and to do it over4 #ee4 ,finishing the ,surface of the ,plate4--,the charcoal occasionally leaves traces on the plate1 which show in the proof as rather too strong a tint4 ,you can get rid of them1 by rubbing with a piece of very soft linen1 and the paste obtained by grinding charcoal with oil on a fine stone4 ,by the same process the whole plate is tidied4 ,it is likely to need it1 as it has undoubtedly lost some of its freshness1 owing to the abuse to which it was subjected in passing through all these processes4 ,our young pupil1 having executed these several operations1 and bitten his retouched plate1 submits a proof to my inspection1 which ,i compare with that of the first state 7,pls4 ,ia and ,i474 ,now you see1 ,i say to him1 how one state leads to another4 ,you have come up to the harmony of the original2 your second state is satisfactory1 and so there is no need of having recourse to varnishing the plate a third time4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,i4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,ii4 ,,chapter ,v4 ,,accidents4 #ef4 ,stopping-out ,varnish dropped on a ,plate while ,biting4--,you are just in time1 ,i continued1 to profit by an accident which has happened to me4 ,i dropped some stopping-out varnish on a plate while it was biting2 it has spread over some parts which are not yet sufficiently bitten1 and of course it is impossible to go on now4 ,i took the ground off the plate1 and had this proof pulled4 ,it is unequal in tone1 and does not give the modelling which ,i worked for4 ,what are you going to do about it8 ,is the plate lost8 #eg4 ,revarnishing with the ,roller for ,rebiting4--,oh1 no1 indeed1 thanks to the roller for revarnishing6 ,my first precaution will be to clean the plate very carefully1 first with spirits of turpentine1 until the linen does not show the least sign of soiling1 and then with bread4 ,or1 having used the turpentine1 ,i might continue the cleaning process with a solution of potash1 after which the plate must be washed in pure water4 ,i then put a little ground1 specially prepared for the purpose1 on a second plate1 which must be scrupulously clean1 and not heated2 or1 better still1 ,i apply the ground directly to the roller itself by means of a palette-knife4 ,i divide this second plate into three parts4 ,by passing the roller over the first part1 ,i spread the ground roughly over it2 on the second part ,i equalize and distribute it more regularly2 on the third1 finally1 ,i finish the operation4 ,by these repeated rollings a very thin layer of ground is evenly spread over all parts of the surface of the roller1 and we may now apply it to the plate which is to be rebitten4 ,to effect this purpose1 ,i pass the roller over the cold plate carefully and with very slight pressure1 repeating the process a number of times and in various directions4 ,this is an operation requiring skill4 ,the ground adheres only to the surface of the plate1 without penetrating into the furrows1 although it is next to impossible to prevent the filling up of the very finest lines4 ,having thus spread the ground1 and having assured myself that the lines are all right by the brilliancy of their reflection as ,i hold the plate against the light1 ,i rapidly pass a burning paper under the plate4 ,the ground is slightly heated1 and solidifies as it cools4 ,the varnish used in this operation is the ordinary etching-ground in balls1 dissolved in oil of lavender in a bath of warm water4 ,it must have the consistency of liquid cream2 if it is too thick1 add a little oil of lavender4#ab ,both the plate and the roller must be well protected against dust4 ,it is not necessary to clean the roller after the operation2 only take care to wipe its ends with the palm of your hand1 turning it the while1 so as to remove the rings of varnish which may have formed there4 ,if the lines are found closed1 too much pressure has been used on the roller2 if the ground is full of little holes1 the plate has not been cleaned well1 and wherever the surface of the copper is exposed the acid will act on it4 ,there is nothing to be done1 in both cases1 but to wash off the ground with spirits of turpentine1 and commence anew4 ,my plate is now in the same state in which it was when ,i withdrew it from the bath4 ,i stop out those parts which are sufficiently bitten1 and1 guided by my proof1 ,i can proceed to continue the biting which was interrupted by the accident4 #eh4 ,revarnishing with the ,roller in ,cases of ,partial ,rebiting4--,you will find this method especially valuable whenever you desire to strengthen passages that are weak in tone4 ,and furthermore1 having thus revarnished your plate1 you may avail yourself of the opportunity of giving additional finish4 ,but if1 before revarnishing1 you should have burnished down some over-bitten lines in a passage which needs rebiting1 you will find that the shallow cavity produced by the burnisher does not take the ground from the roller2 such places are easily detected by the brilliant aspect of the copper1 and good care must be taken to cover them with ground4 ,again1 if1 before proceeding to rebite1 you should notice certain passages which are strong enough as they are1 either because the copper was cut by the point1 or because the lines in them are very close1 you must cover them up with the brush4 ,the same thing is necessary in the case of the excessively black spots which sometimes manifest themselves in places covered by irregularly crossing lines1 and the intensity of which it would be useless to increase still further4 ,this recommendation is valuable for work requiring precision4 #ei4 ,revarnishing with the ,dabber for ,rebiting4--,for partial rebiting the same result may be reached by applying the ground with the dabber4 ,heat your plate1 and surround the part to be rebitten with a thick coat of ordinary etching-ground4 ,now heat your dabber1 and pass it over the ground4 ,finally1 when the dabber is thoroughly impregnated with the ground1 carry it cautiously and little by little over the part in question1 dabbing continually4#ac #fj4 ,revarnishing with the ,brush for ,rebiting4--,let me also call your attention to an analogous case which may arise4 ,if you desire to increase the depth of the biting in a part of the plate in which the lines are rather widely apart1 you may cover the plate with the brush and stopping-out varnish1 and may pass the needle through the lines so as to open them again4 ,you can then rebite in the tray1 or by using pure acid1 or by allowing acid at #bj deg4 to stand on the part in question1 just as you please4 #fa4 ,rebiting a ,remedy only4--,etchers who are entitled to be considered authorities will advise you to avoid as much as possible all rebiting by means of revarnishing1 as it results in heaviness1 and never has the freshness of a first biting obtained with the same ground4 ,a practised eye can easily detect the difference4 ,never let the rebiting be more than a quarter of the first biting4 ,use the process as a remedy1 but never count on it as a part of your regular work4 #fb4 ,holes in the ,ground4--,having once taken up the consideration of the little mishaps which may befall the etcher1 ,i shall now show you another plate in which the sky is dotted by a number of minute holes of no great depth 7piques74 ,this plate has1 no doubt1 been retouched1 and the ground having been badly laid1 the acid played mischief with it4 ,it is very lucky that the lines in the sky are widely separated1 as otherwise these holes would be inextricably mixed up with them4 ,we can rid ourselves of them by a few strokes of the burnisher1 and by rubbing with charcoal-paste and a bit of fine linen4 ,the burnisher alone would give too much polish to the copper2 in printing the ink would leave no tint on the plate in these spots1 and the traces of the burnisher would show as white marks in the proofs4 ,to avoid this1 the copper must be restored to its natural state4#ad ,what would happen1 asks another of my pupils1 if these little holes occurred in a sky or in some other closely worked passage8 ,here is a plate in which this accident has befallen some clouds and part of the ground4 ,what shall ,i do8 ,to begin with1 let me tell you for your future guidance that this accident would not have happened if you had waited for the drying of the ground with which you covered this sky after you had bitten it4 ,the acid1 which never loses an opportunity given it by mismanagement or inattention1 worked its way unbeknown to you through the soft varnish in the clouds as well as in the ground1 and went on a spree at your expense4 ,remember that nitric acid is very selfish2 it insists that it shall always be uppermost in your mind1 and all your calculations must take this demand into account2 its powers1 creative as well as destructive1 are to be continually dreaded2 it likes to see you occupy yourself with it continually1 watchfully1 and with fear4 ,if you turn your back to it1 it plays you a trick1 and thus it has punished you for neglecting it for a moment4 ,thank you4 ,but you are acting the part of ,la ,fontaine's schoolmaster1 who moralized with the pupil when he had fallen into the water4 #fc4 ,planing out ,faulty ,passages4--,and that did not help him out4 ,you are right4 ,well1 you must go to some skilful copper-planer1#ae who will work away at the spoiled part of your plate with scraper and burnisher and charcoal1 until he has restored the copper to its virgin state2 then all you've got to do will be to do your work over again4 ,that is rather a blunt way of settling the question4 ,seeing that we are about to cut into the flesh after this fashion1 might it not be as well to have the whole of the sky taken out altogether8 ,i am not satisfied with it1 any way4 ,certainly4 ,by the same process the planer can remove every thing1 up to the outlines of the trees and the figures in your plate2 he will cut out any thing you want1 and yet respect all the outlines1 if you will only indicate your wishes on a proof4 ,in this passage1 where you see deep holes1 scraper and charcoal will be insufficient2 the planer must1 therefore1 hammer them out before he goes at the other parts4 ,as regards the little holes in the foreground1 since they are not as deep as the lines among which they appear1 you can remove them1 or at least reduce them1 by means of charcoal1 without injury to the deeply bitten parts4 ,you may follow this plan whenever you are convinced that a lowering of tone will do no harm to your first work4 ,in the opposite case1 you must either have recourse to the planer1 or put up with the accident4 ,if you are not too much of a purist1 you will occasionally find these piques productive of a piquant effect1 and then you will take good care not to touch them4 ,that's a 'point' which you did not mention among the utensils6 ,you have ingenious ways of getting out of a scrape4 ,we cut out1 or cut down1 or dig away1 whole passages1 according to necessity4 ,i have seen the half of a plate planed off1 because the design was faulty4 #fd4 ,acid ,spots on ,clothing4--,here comes one of my friends1 who is also an etcher4 ,i wonder what he brings us6 ,his clothing is covered all over with spots of the most beautiful garnet2 he ought to have washed them with volatile alkali1 which neutralizes the effect of the acid4 ,but he does not mind it4 #fe4 ,reducing ,over-bitten ,passages and ,creves4--,oh1 gentlemen1 that is not worth while speaking of6 ,but you must see my plate4 ,i drew a horse from nature1 which a whole swamp-ful of leeches might have disputed with me4 ,but ,i do believe it escaped the biting of these animals only to succumb to mine4 ,judge for yourselves6 ,the fact of the matter is1 that you have killed it with acid4 ,there is nothing left of it1 but an informal mass1 ten times over-bitten4 ,fortunately there is no lack of black ink at the printer's6 ,it is a veritable ,chinese shadow1 and looks as if the horse had gone into mourning for itself4 ,however1 although the carcass is lost1 ,i hope you may be able to save some of the members4 ,the wounds are deep and broad2 but we can try a remedy in extremis3 first of all1 your horse will have to stand an attack of charcoal2 if it survives this1 we shall subject it to renewed and ferocious bitings4 ,all this puzzles you4 ,therefore1 having treated your beast to the charcoal1 and having had a last proof taken1 you place the latter before you1 and re-cover your plate with a solid coat of varnish4 ,with a somewhat coarse point you patch those places which show white in the proof1 taking care to harmonize your patches with the surrounding parts4 ,in this way you replace the lines which have disappeared1 and then proceed to bite in1 doing your best to come as near as possible to the strength of the first biting4 ,the result may not be very marvellous1 but it will be an improvement1 at all events4 ,if ,i were in your place1 ,i should not hesitate to begin again4 ,the process which ,i have just described is best suited to isolated passages4 ,in closely worked and lightly bitten passages1 blotches 7or creves7 are more easily remedied1 as they are less deep4 ,rub them down with charcoal1 very cautiously and delicately1 and let the dry point do the rest4 ,there1 now6 ,there's our friend1 again1 using acid instead of spirits of turpentine to clean his plate6 ,that'll be the end of the animal4 ,it is against the law1 sir1 to murder a poor1 inoffensive beast this wise6 ,fortunately we can help him out with several sheets of blotting-paper1 in default of water1 which we do not happen to have at hand4 ,we were in time6 ,the copper has only lost its polish2 a little more charcoal1--and ,rosinante still lives4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,iii4 ,,chapter ,,vi4 ,,difference ,,between ,,flat ,,biting1 ,,and ,,biting ,,with ,,stopping-,,out4 #ff4 ,two ,kinds of ,biting4--,now that you have become familiar with the secrets of biting1 ,i say to my pupil1 and are therefore prepared to be on your guard against the accidents to be avoided when you go to work again1 ,i can make clear to you1 better than if ,i had endeavored to do so at the outset1 the difference between the two kinds of biting on which rests the whole system of the art of etching1 and the distinctive characteristics of which are often confounded4 ,the work thus far done will help you to a more intelligent understanding of this distinction4 ,as it was impossible to explain to you1 at one and the same time1 all the resources of the needle as well as those of biting1 between which1 as ,i told you before1 there exist very intimate relations1 ,i had to choose a general example by which to demonstrate the processes employed1 and which would allow me to explain the reasons for these processes4 ,there are two kinds of biting1--flat biting and biting with stopping-out4 7,see ,pl4 ,,iii47 ,these two kinds of biting resemble one another in this1 that they involve only one grounding or varnishing1 and consequently only one bath2 they differ most markedly in this1 that in flat biting the work of the acid is accomplished all over the plate at one and the same time1 and with only one immersion in the bath1 while in biting with stopping-out there are several successive1 or1 if you prefer the term1 partial bitings1 between each of which the plate is withdrawn from the bath1 and the parts to be reserved are stopped out with varnish as often as it is thought necessary4 ,it follows from this1 that1 with flat biting1 the modelling must be done by the needle1 using either only one needle1 or else several of different thicknesses4 #fg4 ,flat ,biting4--,one ,point4--,with a single needle the values are obtained by drawing the lines closely together in the foreground and nearer distances1 or for passages requiring strength1 and by keeping them apart in the off distances1 and in the lighter passages of the near distances2 furthermore1 to obtain a play of light in the same distance1 the lines must be drawn farther apart in the lights1 and more closely together in the shadows4 ,a single point gives a hint of what we desire to do1 but it does not express it4 ,it is undoubtedly sufficient for a sketch intended to represent a drawing executed with pen and ink or with the pencil2 but it cannot be successfully employed in a plate which1 by the variety of color and the vigor of the biting1 is meant to convey the idea of a painting4 #fh4 ,flat ,biting4--,several ,points4--,when several points of different thickness are used1 the coarser serve for the foreground and near distances1 the finer in gradual succession for the receding distances4 ,they are used alternately in the different distances1 and the lines are drawn more closely together here1 or kept farther apart there1 according to the necessities of the effect to be obtained2 the depth of the biting is the same throughout1 but the difference in thickness of the lines makes it an easy matter1 by more elaborate modelling1 to give to the etching the appearance of a finished design4 ,with a single point1 as well as with several1 the pressure used in drawing must remain the same throughout1 so that the acid may act simultaneously1 and with equal intensity on all parts of the plate4 ,if there has been any inequality of attack1 the values will be unequal in their turn1 and different from what they were intended to be4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,iv4 #fi4 ,biting with ,stopping-out4--,one ,point4--,in biting with stopping-out1 it is the biting itself1 and not the needle1 which gives modelling to the etching4 ,in this case1 also1 one or several points may be used4 ,the simplest manner is that in which only one point is used4 ,the stopping-out1 and consequently the biting1 is done in large masses4 7,see ,pl4 ,v4 ,fig4 #a47 #gj4 ,biting with ,stopping-out4--,several ,points4--,as a very simple example let us take a case in which it is necessary to have certain very closely lined passages in a foreground alongside of very coarse ones4 ,in that case the first1 or close1 lines must be etched very delicately1 while the whole force of the biting must be brought to bear on the latter 7see ,pl4 ,,iv4 ,fig4 #b74 ,in the same way the values of two different objects may be equilibrated2 by employing close lines slightly bitten in the one case1 and spaced lines more deeply bitten in the other4 ,biting with stopping-out1 combined with the work of several points1 requires more attention and discernment than any other4 ,if the first biting is not successful1 the plate is revarnished1 and the work of repairing and correcting commences4 ,summing up the advantages offered by these various means1 you will see what results the combination of the work of one or of several points with partial biting may be made to yield1 either in giving to objects their various values1 their natural color1 and their modelling1 or in disposing them in space1 and thus producing the harmonious gradation of the several distances4 #ga4 ,necessity of ,experimenting4--,if you will now call to mind our preceding operations1 and will hold them together with the explanations just given1 you will be able to appreciate them in their totality4 ,the necessity of arriving at truth of expression1 with nothing to guide you but these rules1 which are influenced by a variety of conditions1 will compel you to experiment for yourself1 with special reference to the combination of the surrounding temperature1 the strength of the acid1 the number of partial bitings1 the pressure of the point1 the different thicknesses of the points1 and the various kinds of work that can be done with them1 on the one hand2 and on the other1 with regard to the length of the bitings4 ,if you are called upon to imitate a given object very closely1 you must proceed rationally1 and your work must be accompanied by continual reflection4 ,to familiarize yourself with these delicate operations1 you must experiment for yourself2 don't complain if you spoil a few plates2 you will learn something by your failures1 as your experience in one case will teach you what to do in others4 ,self-acquired experience is of all teachers the best4 #gb4 ,various other ,methods of ,biting4--,the two preceding methods1 which1 in a general way1 comprehend the rules of biting1 do not exclude other particular methods of a similar nature4 ,thus1 it may be well sometimes to etch at first only the simple outline1 biting it in more or less vigorously1 according to the nature of the case 7see ,pl4 ,,iv4 ,fig4 #c72 and then1 having revarnished and resmoked the plate1 to elaborate the drawing by going over it either in some parts only or throughout the whole4 ,rembrandt often pursued this course2 and we may follow the several stages of his work by studying the various states of his plates4 ,we see that he took great pains to work out some part of his subject very carefully1 without touching the other parts2 he then took a proof1 and afterwards went over the same part with finer lines1 and passed on to the other parts1 treating them according to the effect which he desired to reach4 ,this method is often imitated2 it is employed when it is necessary to lay a shadow over a passage full of detail1 as1 for instance1 in architectural subjects1 in the execution of which it is easier1 and tends to avoid confusion1 to fix the lines of the design first1 and then1 having laid the ground a second time1 to add the shadows4 7,see ,pl4 ,,iv4 ,fig4 #d47 ,pardon me6 ,but might not this result be obtained by the same biting1 if the lines of the design were drawn with a coarse point1 and the shading were added with a finer one8 ,certainly2 and in that case we should have an instance of work executed with several needles1 such as ,i pointed out to you before4 ,from the explanations previously given1 it will be clear1 also1 that1 the nature of the subject permitting1 it may be advantageous sometimes to execute a plate by drawing and biting each distance by itself4 ,thus you may commence with the foreground1 and may bite it in2 having had a proof taken1 revarnish your plate1 and proceed in the same fashion to the execution of the other distances1 and of the sky1 always having a proof taken after each biting to serve you as a guide4 ,this mode of operation--essentially that of the engraver--is of special advantage in putting in a sky or a background behind complicated foliage4 ,you can draw and bite your sky or your background all by itself 7see ,pl4 ,,iv4 ,fig4 #e71 and then1 having revarnished your plate1 you can execute your trees on the background4 ,as the trees are bitten by themselves1 it is evident that we have avoided a difficulty which is almost insurmountable1--that1 namely1 of stopping out with the brush the lines of the sky between intricate masses of foliage4 ,but we can also proceed differently4 ,we can commence with the trees1 drawing them and biting them in1 and can finish with the sky1 having revarnished the plate as usual3 the sky will thus fall into its place behind the trees4 ,you need not trouble yourself because the lines of the sky pass across the lines of the trees4 ,the biting of the sky must be so delicate that it will not affect the value of the foliage1 and you may therefore carry your point in all directions1 and use it as freely as you please4 ,some etchers find it more convenient to commence with the sky and the background1 on account of the points of resistance encountered by the needle in the more deeply bitten lines of the trees1 which destroys their freedom of execution4 ,they are correct1 whenever the sky to be executed is very complicated2 but if only a few lines are involved1 it will be better to introduce them afterwards4 ,it is1 besides1 an easy matter to get accustomed to the jumping of the point when it is working on a ground that has previously been bitten4 ,what ,i have just told you applies also to the masts and the rigging of vessels1 c41 and1 indeed1 to all lines which cut clearly and strongly across a delicately bitten distance4 ,an etcher of great merit has conceived the original idea of executing an etching in the bath itself1 commencing with the passages which need a vigorous biting1 then successively passing on to the more delicate parts1 and finally ending with the sky4,c ,the various distances thus receive their due proportion of biting2 but it is necessary to work very quickly1 as the biting of a plate etched in the bath in this manner proceeds five to six times more rapidly than if done in the ordinary manner4 ,every etcher ought to be curious to try this bold method of working1 so that he may see how it is possible to ally the inspiration of the moment with the uncertain duration of the biting1 which in this process has emancipated itself from all methodical rule1 and follows no law but that imposed upon it by the caprice of the artist4#af ,c ,the bath1 in this case1 is composed as follows3-- #hhj gr4 water4 #ajj pure hydrochloric 7muriatic7 acid4 #bj potassium chlorate4 ,all this goes to show you that there is ample liberty of choice as to processes in etching4 ,it is well to try them all1 as it is well to try every thing that may give new and unknown results1 may inspire ideas1 or may lead to progress1 neither of which is likely to happen in the pursuit of mere routine work4 ,,chapter ,,vii4 ,,recommendations ,,and ,,auxiliary ,,processes4--,,zink ,,and ,,steel ,,plates4--,,various ,,theories4 ,a4 ,,recommendations ,,and ,,auxiliary ,,processes4 #gc4 ,the ,roulette4--,the latitude which ,i gave you does not extend to the point of approving of all material resources without any exception4 ,there is one which ,i shall not permit you to make use of1 as the needle has enough resources of its own to be able to do without it4 ,i allude to the roulette1 which finds its natural application in other species of engraving4 #gd4 ,the ,flat ,point4--,employ the flat point with judgment2 it takes up a great deal of varnish1 but gives lines of little depth1 and of less strength than those which can be obtained by prolonged biting1 with an ordinary needle4 #ge4 ,the ,graver or ,burin4--,and the graver3 what do you say to that8 ,the graver is the customary and fundamental tool of what is properly called line-engraving4 ,although it is not absolutely necessary in the species of etching which we are studying1 there are cases1 nevertheless1 in which it can be used to advantage1 but always as an auxiliary only4 ,if1 for instance1 you desire to give force to a deeply bitten but grayish and dull passage1 or to a flat tint which looks monotonous1 a few resolute and irregular touches with the graver will do wonders1 and will add warmth and color4 ,a few isolated lines with the graver give freshness to a muddy1 broken1 or foxy tint1 without increasing its value4 ,the graver may also be employed in patching deeply bitten passages4 ,the graver1 of a rectangular form1 with an angular cutting edge1 is applied almost horizontally on the bare copper2 its handle1 rounded above1 flat below1 is held in the palm of the hand2 the index finger presses on the steel bar2 it is pushed forward1 and easily enters the metal3 the degree of pressure applied1 and the angle which it makes with the plate1 produces the difference in the engraved lines4 ,the color obtained by the burin is deeper than that obtained by biting1 as it cuts more deeply into the copper4 ,if extensively used in an etching1 the work executed by the graver contrasts rather unpleasantly with the quality of the etched work1 as its lines are extremely clear cut4 ,to get rid of this inequality1 it is sufficient to rebite the passages in question very slightly1 which gives to the burin-lines the appearance of etched lines4 ,in short3 use the graver with great circumspection1 as its application to works of the needle is a very delicate matter1 and gives to an etching a character different from that which we are striving for4 ,it seems to me that to employ it on a free etching1 done on the spur of the moment1 would be like throwing a phrase from ,bossuet into the midst of a lively conversation4#ag #gf4 ,sandpaper4--,as regards other mechanical means1 be distrustful of tints obtained by rubbing the copper with sandpaper2 these tints generally show in the proof as muddy spots1 and are wanting in freshness4 ,avoid the process1 because of its difficulty of application4 ,only a very skilful engraver can put it to good uses4 #gg4 ,sulphur ,tints4--,i shall be less afraid to see you make use of flowers of sulphur for the purpose of harmonizing or increasing the weight of a tint4 ,the sulphur is mixed with oil1 so as to form a homogeneous paste thick enough to be laid on with a brush4 ,by the action of these two substances the polish on the plate is destroyed1 and the result in printing is a fresh and soft tint1 which blends agreeably with the work of the needle4 ,differences in value are easily obtained by allowing the sulphur to remain on the plate for a greater or less period of time4 ,this species of biting acts more readily in hot weather2 a few minutes are sufficient to produce a firm tint4 ,in cold weather relatively more time is needed4 ,the corrosions produced in this way have quite a dark appearance on the plate1 but they produce much lighter tints in printing4 ,if you are not satisfied with the result obtained1 you can rub it out with charcoal1 as the copper is corroded only quite superficially4 ,owing to this extreme slightness of biting1 the burnisher may also be used to reduce any parts which are to stand out white4 ,this process1 as you see1 is very accommodating2 but it is too much like mezzotint or aquatint1 and1 furthermore1 it can only be applied in flat tints1 without modelling4 ,i have1 nevertheless1 explained it to you1 so that you may be able to use it1 if you should have a notion to do so1 as a matter of curiosity1 but with reserve4 ,it is better to use the dry point1 which has more affinity to the processes natural to etching4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,v4 #gh4 ,mottled ,tints4--,you may also make use of the following process 7but with the same restrictions7 in the representation of parts of old walls1 of rocks and earth1 or of passages to which you desire to impart the character of a sort of artistic disorder3--,distribute a quantity of ordinary etching-ground on a copper plate sufficiently heated2 then take your dabber1 and1 having charged it unequally with varnish1 and having also heated your etched plate1 press the dabber on the passages which are to receive the tint2 the varnish adheres to the plate in an irregular manner1 leaving the copper bare here and there4 ,now stop out with the brush those parts which you desire to protect1 and bite in with pure acid2 the result will be a curiously mottled irregular tint 7see ,pl4 ,v4 ,fig4 #b74 ,properly used in the representation of subjects on which you are at liberty to exercise your fancy1 this process will give you unexpected and often happy results4 #gi4 ,stopping-out before all ,biting4--,before we proceed1 ,i must show you an easy method of representing a thunder-storm 7see ,pl4 ,v4 ,fig4 #b73--,work the sky with the needle1 very closely1 so as to get the sombre tints of the clouds2 and1 before biting1 trace the streaks of lightning on the etched work with a brush and stopping-out varnish2 being thus protected against the acid1 these streaks will show white in the printing1 and the effect will be neater and more natural than if you had attempted to obtain it by the needle itself1 as you will avoid the somewhat hard outlines on either side of the lightning1 which would otherwise have been necessary to indicate it4 ,you can employ the same process for effects of moonlight1 for reflected lights on water1 and1 in fact1 for all light lines which it is difficult to pick out on a dark ground4 ,b4 ,,zink ,,plates ,,and ,,steel ,,plates4 #hj4 ,zink ,plates4--,so far ,i have spoken to you of copper plates only2 but etchings are also executed on zink and on steel4 ,zink bites rapidly1 and needs only one quarter of the time necessary for copper1 with the same strength of acid2 or1 with the same length of time1 an acid of ten degrees is sufficient4 ,the biting is coarse1 and without either delicacy or depth4 ,a zink plate prints only a small edition4#ah #ha4 ,steel ,plates4--,steel also bites with great rapidity4 ,one part of acid to seven of water is sufficient2 and the biting is accomplished1 on the average1 in from one to five minutes1 from the faintest distance to the strongest foreground4 ,free1 artistic etchings are very rarely executed on steel1 which is more particularly used in other kinds of engraving4 ,c4 ,,various ,,other ,,processes4 #hb4 ,soft ,ground ,etching4--,there is a kind of etching known as soft-ground etching1 and but little practised at present1 which was successfully cultivated about thirty years ago by ,louis ,marvy and ,masson4 ,the engravers of the last century used to call it gravure en maniere de crayon4#ai ,illustration3 ,plate ,,vi4 ,take a ball of common etching-ground1 and melt it in the water-bath in a small vessel1 adding to it1 in winter1 an equal volume1 and in summer only one-third of the same volume1 of tallow4 ,let the mixture cool1 form it into a ball1 and wrap it up in a piece of very fine silk4 ,ground your plate in the usual way1 and smoke lightly4 ,on this soft ground fix a piece of very thin paper having a grain1 and on the paper thus attached to the plate1 execute your design with a lead-pencil4 ,wherever the pencil passes1 the varnish sticks to the paper in proportion to the pressure of the hand2 and1 on carefully removing the sheet1 it takes up the varnish that adheres to it4 ,bite the plate1 and the result will be a facsimile of the design executed on the paper4 7,see ,pl4 ,,vi47 ,if the proofs are too soft1 or wanting in decision1 the plate may be worked over with the needle1 by regrounding1 and then rebiting it4 ,the first state can thus be elaborated like an ordinary etching1 and the necessary precision can be given to it whenever the idea to be expressed is vaguely or insufficiently rendered2 or the same end may be reached by the dry point4 ,in either case1 however1 all the retouches must be executed by irregular stippling1 so that they may harmonize with the result of the first biting4 ,otherwise there will be a lack of homogeneity in the appearance of etchings of this sort1 in which the grain of the paper plays an important part4 ,smooth paper gives no result whatever4 ,the paper used may have a coarse grain or a fine grain1 at the pleasure of the etcher1 or papers of different grain may be used in the same design4 ,this style of etching requires great care in handling the plate1 on account of the tenderness of the ground4 ,in drawing1 a hand-rest must be used1 so that the hand may not touch the plate4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,vii4 #hc4 ,dry ,point ,etching4--,the dry point is also used for etching1 without the intervention of the acid-bath4 ,the design is executed with the dry point on the bare copper2 the difference in values is obtained by the greater or less amount of pressure used1 and by the difference in the distance between the lines4 7,see ,plate ,,vii47 ,the brilliancy of effect which etchings of this kind may or may not possess1 depends on the use made of the scraper 7see paragraph #di1 p4 #cc74 ,you will find it convenient to varnish and smoke your plate1 to begin with1 and to trace the leading lines of your design on the ground1 taking care to cut lightly into the copper with the point4 ,then remove the varnish1 and continue your drawing1 guided by these general outlines4 ,it is best to commence with the sky1 or other delicate passages1 and to remove the bur from them1 if there are other stronger lines to be drawn over them4 ,you can see perfectly well what you are doing1 by rubbing a little lamp-black mixed with tallow into the lines as you proceed1 and cleaning the plate with the flat of your hand2 in this way you can control your work1 and can carry it forward until it is finished1 either by removing more or less of the bur1 or by allowing all of it to stand1 or by the elaboration of those passages which seem to need it4 ,the lines show on the plate as they are intended to show on the paper4 ,you can therefore bring out your subject by shading2 you can lay vigorous lines over lines from which the bur has been removed2 you can take out1 and you can put in4 ,the effect produced in the printing is velvety and strong1 similar to that produced by the stump on paper4 ,rembrandt employed the dry point1 without scraping1 in some of his principal etchings4 #hd4 ,the ,pen ,process4--,i must now speak to you of a process which offers certain advantages4 ,clean your plate thoroughly1 first with turpentine1 and then with whiting1 and take care not to touch the polished surface with your fingers4 ,execute a design on the bare copper with the pen and ordinary ink4 ,you must not1 of course1 expect to find in the pen the same delicacy as in the needle4 ,the design having been finished and thoroughly dried1 ground and smoke your plate without1 for the present1 taking any further notice of the design2 but be sure to see to it that the coat of varnish is not too thick2 then lay the plate into water1 and let it stay there for a quarter of an hour4 ,having withdrawn the plate1 rub it lightly with a piece of flannel2 the ink1 having been softened by the water1 comes off1 together with the varnish which covers it1 and leaves the design in well-defined lines on the copper1 which you may now bite4 ,you may work either with one pen and several bitings1 or with several pens of various degrees of fineness and one biting4 ,as in the case of soft ground etching1 you may make additions with the needle to give delicacy4 ,it is necessary to ground the plate and to soak it in water as soon as may be after the finishing of the design4 ,at the end of two days1 the ink refuses to rub off4 ,,chapter ,,viii4 ,,proving ,,and ,,printing4 #he4 ,wax ,proofs4--,our first desire1 after the ground has been removed from the plate1 is to see a proof4 ,if you have no press1 and yet desire to take proofs of your work after each biting1 you may employ the following process to good advantage3-- ,take a sheet of very thin paper1 a little larger than your plate1 and cover it with a thin layer of melted wax4 ,the latter must be real white wax4 ,then sprinkle a little lamp-black on your engraved plate1 and distribute it with your finger1 so as to rub it into the lines2 clean the surface of the plate by carefully passing the palm of your hand over it4 ,now lay the sheet of paper on the plate1 with its waxed surface down1 and be sure to turn the edges of the paper over on the back of the plate1 so as to prevent its moving2 then rub with the burnisher in all directions4 ,the lamp-black sticks to the wax1 and is sure to give an approximate image1 sufficient to guide you in the further prosecution of your work1 if that should be necessary4#bj #hf4 ,the ,printing-,press4--,these proofs1 however1 as well as those which were hurriedly printed for you so far1 give only a mere idea of your work1 without conveying its full meaning4 ,if you desire to become acquainted with all the resources of the printing-press1 you will have to go to a plate printer4 ,it is well worth your while to acquire this knowledge1 also1 after you have familiarized yourself with the various processes at the command of the etcher4 ,here1 then1 is the printer at his press3 at his side there is a box made of sheet-iron1 enclosing a chafing-dish2 there are also printing-ink1 a ball for inking1 rags1 and paper4#ba ,he is about to explain the use made of these things to our young student1 who delivers his plate to him1 and is anxious to be instructed in all that relates to the taking of impressions4 #hg4 ,natural ,printing4--,the printer now begins his explanations as follows3-- ,i place the plate on the sheet-iron box 7the plate-warmer72 it there acquires the necessary degree of heat1 and ,i then spread the printing ink over it by means of this ball2 the ink penetrates into the lines1 and completely covers the whole surface of the plate2 ,i remove the excess of ink with a coarse muslin rag1 precisely as this is done in all other kinds of plate printing2 ,i now clean the plate with the palm of my hand1 so that no ink is left on it anywhere but in the lines2 ,i finally wipe the margins of the plate evenly1 so as to leave a delicate tint on the etched part only1 and then ,i put the plate into the press4 ,the plate is laid on the travelling-board or bed of the press1 which runs between two cylinders of iron or hard wood2 on the plate ,i lay a piece of paper1 slightly moistened1 and ,i cover the whole with several thicknesses of flannel2 ,i turn the wheel of the press1 and the cylinders1 turning on themselves1 carry along the travelling-board1 which1 in passing between them1 is subjected to great pressure4 ,the paper is thus pressed into the lines on the plate1 and this process is facilitated by the elasticity of the flannel4 ,you see now that your plate has come out on the other side of the rollers 7or cylinders73 we have given the press only one turn1 although1 as a rule1 the plate is passed through the press twice1 by making it travel back again under the rollers4 ,this imparts strength to the impression2 but occasionally the lines are not rendered as delicately and with as much precision1 as with only one turn4 ,i remove the flannel1 and very carefully lift the paper2 it has absorbed the ink3 we have before us a natural proof1 which shows the exact state of the plate 7see ,pl4 ,i474 ,line-engravings are printed in the same manner2 with this difference1 however1 that the tint1 more or less apparent1 which is preserved on an etching1 is not allowed to remain on a plate engraved with the burin4 #hh4 ,artificial ,printing4--,the printing of etchings very frequently differs from the simple method just described4 ,it must be varied according to the style of execution adopted by the etcher2 and1 as much of the harmony of the plate may depend upon it1 it sometimes rises to the dignity of an art1 in which the artist and the printer are merged into each other1--the printer losing himself in the artist1 as he is compelled to enter into the latter's ideas2 and the artist giving way to the printer1 to avail himself of his practical experience4 ,the proof from your plate1 for instance1 has a dry look 7see ,pl4 ,i472 it needs more softness1 and this can be given to it by the printer4,d 7,see ,pl4 ,,ii47 ,d ,it would be a great advantage if every etcher could print his own proofs4 ,rembrandt is the most striking example1 as he was the author of many of the devices in use even to-day4 ,a press can easily be procured4 ,the firm of ,ve4 ,cadart1 ,paris1 has had a little portable press constructed1 especially for the use of artists and amateurs4 ,all the necessary accessories for printing can also be obtained of this firm4 7,see ,note #bb47 ,i will now explain to you some of the various artifices which are employed in printing4 #hi4 ,handwiping with ,retroussage4--,having wiped the plate with the palm of the hand1 we might bring it up again 7la retrousser7 by playing over it very lightly with a piece of soft muslin rag rolled together4 ,the muslin draws the ink out of the lines1 and spreads it along their edges1 so that1 in the proof1 the space between the lines is filled up by a vigorous tint4 ,but this process can only be used on plates in which the lines are evenly disposed throughout1 and1 more especially1 scattered4 ,to produce the proper effect the retroussage must be general2 because1 if the rag passes over one passage only1 and not over the others1 or1 if it is brought into play only on the dark parts1 and not in the lights1 there will be discordance of tone1 and consequently want of harmony4 ,in the present case1 therefore1 retroussage would be unsatisfactory1 because the work on your plate1 while it is broadly treated in some parts1 is so close in others that there is no room left between the furrows4 ,it follows that there is no place for the ink1 drawn out of the lines1 to spread on2 the result would be a muddy tint1--one of those overcharged impressions which bring criticism upon the printer1 because he has applied retroussage to a plate which did not need it4 #ij4 ,tinting with a ,stiff ,rag4--,let us now try another means4 ,the proof will gain in freshness if we soften the lines by going over the plate1 after it has been wiped with the hand1 somewhat more heavily with stiff muslin4 ,owing to the pressure used1 the rag1 instead of carrying away the ink which it has taken up out of the lines1 retains it2 a tint like that produced by the stump is spread over the plate1 and envelops the lines without obscuring them2 the proof is supple and velvety4 7,see ,pl4 ,,ii47 #ia4 ,wiping with the ,rag only4--,here is another variety4 ,i am just printing a number of original plates by different artists4 ,being true painter's etchings1 some of these plates are boldly accentuated and heavily bitten2 the lines are widely apart1 and significant4 ,if these plates were printed naturally1 they would yield bare and poor-looking proofs4 ,wiping with the hand would be useless4 ,i therefore go over the plate with stiff muslin4 ,in the same manner ,i continue and finish1 so as to give the greatest amount of cleaning to the luminous passages1 while a tolerably strong tint is left on the dark and deeply bitten ones4 ,or ,i might have wiped the plate energetically with soft muslin1 and then might have brought up again certain passages with a soft and somewhat cleaner rag4 ,this method of wiping1 which leaves on the surface of the plate a tint of more or less depth1 must not be confounded with retroussage4 ,here is a proof of one of the plates of which ,i spoke to you3 it is well sustained at all points2 the lines are full and nourished2 the general aspect is harmonious and energetic2 the lights are softened2 the strongly marked passages are enveloped in a warm tint4 ,one might almost say that the effect of painting has been carried into etching4 ,this method is employed for plates which have been deeply bitten1 but upon which stopping-out has been used but sparingly1 for works in which there is sobriety of expression1 or for sketches 7see ,pl4 ,,viii474 ,it is all the more necessary1 sometimes1 for the printer to take the initiative1 the simpler the plate has been etched2 it is left to him1 in short1 to complete the intention merely indicated by the artist4 ,illustration3 ,plate ,,viii4 #ib4 ,limits of ,artificial ,printing4--,these examples have shown to you that difference in tone depends on the amount of pressure1 and the variety of texture in the muslin4 ,it is oftentimes necessary--and this is an affair of tact--to make use of these diverse qualities of the muslin on the same plate1--now reducing an over-strong tint by more vigorous wiping2 now giving renewed force to it1 in case it has become too soft4 ,these various means constitute the art of printing etchings4 ,but1 while fully recognizing their efficiency when they are used to the purpose1 we must also keep in mind the dangers which arise from their being applied without discernment4 ,plates produced by an intelligent combination of bitings1 must be printed naturally1 if they are not to lose the absolute character given to them by the needle and the acid4 ,if they are at all wiped with the rag1 so as to impart more softness to them1 it must1 at least1 be done with the greatest of care4 ,the artist has every thing to gain1 therefore1 by watching over the printing of his plates1 and instructing the printer as to the manner in which he desires to be interpreted4 ,some etchers prefer the simplicity of the natural state2 but the great majority favor the other method of printing1 which1 for the very reason that it is difficult1 and on account of the many variations in its application1 ought always to be an object of interest to the printer1 and the aim of his studies4 ,it is1 moreover1 the method which is generally understood and adopted by our first etchers4#bb #ic4 ,printing ,inks4--,the quality and the shade of the ink1 as well as the way in which it is ground1 are of great importance in the beauty of a proof4 ,inks are made of pure black1 slightly tempered with bistre or burnt sienna1 and the shade can be varied according to taste4 ,a plate like yours needs a delicate black1 composed of ,frankfort black and lamp-black2 the bistre-tint1 which1 in the course of time1 loses its freshness and strength1 would not answer4 ,this tint is always best suited to strongly bitten work1 but in your case it would be insufficient4 ,a very strong black1 on the other hand1 would make your etching look hard4 ,this last shade--pure1 or very slightly broken with bistre--is preferable for strongly accented plates4#bc #id4 ,paper4--,laid paper is the most suitable paper for printing etchings2 its sparkle produces a marvellous effect2 its strength defies time itself4 ,some artists and amateurs ransack the shops for old paper with brown and dingy edges1 which1 to certain plates1 imparts the appearance of old etchings4 ,india paper 7,chinese paper7 promotes purity of line2 but1 as its surface is dull1 it furnishes somewhat dry and dim proofs4 ,japanese paper1 of a warm yellowish tint1 silky and transparent1 is excellent1 especially for plates which need more of mystery than of brilliancy1 for heavy and deep tones1 and for concentration of effect4 ,japanese paper absorbs the ink1 and it is necessary1 therefore1 to bring up 7retrousser7 the plate strongly1 and to wipe it with the rag4 ,this paper is less favorable to sketches1 the precise1 free1 and widely spaced lines of which accommodate themselves better to the tint of the laid paper4 ,parchment may also be used for proofs2 nothing equals the beauty of such proofs1 printed either naturally1 or wiped with the rag2 they are the treasures of collectors4#bd #ie4 ,epreuves ,volantes4--,on ,chinese and ,japanese paper1 as well as on parchment1 so-called epreuves volantes 7flying proofs7 are printed2 that is to say1 loose proofs1 which are not pasted down on white paper4 ,they are simply attached to ,bristol board by the two upper corners1 which brings them out perfectly4 #if4 ,proofs before ,lettering4--,all of these various kinds of paper1 each of which has its own claim for excellence1 and especially ,japanese paper1 are by preference used for artists' proofs and proofs before lettering1 which are printed before the title is engraved on the plate4 ,it is customary to print a greater or less number of such proofs1 which1 being struck off when the plate is still quite fresh1 show it at its best4 ,after that1 the plate is lettered1 and an ordinary edition is printed from it4 ,it follows from this that the possessor of a proof without title has the best the plate can afford to give4 ,but1 as the pictures by the masters do not stand in need of a signature to be recognized1 so the proofs before lettering may well do without the guaranty which is found in the absence of a title2 even without this guaranty an amateur knows how to recognize the virgin freshness of an early impression1 which is still further augmented by the extreme care bestowed on the printing of these exceptional proofs1 but which cannot be kept up through a long edition4 #ig4 ,epreuves de ,remarque4--,epreuves de remarque 7marked proofs71 showing the different states of the plate1 and the various modifications which it underwent1 are also sought after4 ,their rarity increases their price4#be #ih4 ,number of ,impressions which a ,plate is capable of yielding4--,the number of impressions which a plate can yield is not fixed1 as the power of resisting the wear and tear of printing depends largely on the delicacy or the strength of the work4 ,the quality of the copper must also be considered1 a soft plate giving way much faster than a hard plate which has been well hammered4 ,the plates prepared to-day do not resist as well as those formerly made2 and as the popularity of works of art multiplied by the press has considerably increased1 it became necessary to look about for means by which the surface of a copper plate may be hardened1 and be made to yield a large edition4 ,this has been accomplished by #ii4 ,steel-facing4--,steel-facing1 which was invented by ,messrs4 ,salmon and ,garnier1 and which ,m4 ,jacquin undertook to render practicable1 consists in depositing a coating of veritable steel1 by galvanic action1 on the face of the copper plate1 or1 in other words1 by the superposition of a hard metal on a soft metal4 ,this mode of protection1 which perfectly preserves the most delicate passages1 even down to the almost invisible scratches of the dry point1 not only guarantees the copper against the contact of the hand and the rag1 which would tell on it more than the pressure of the rollers1 but at the same time makes it possible to print a thousand proofs of equal purity4 ,certain plates1 owing to the manner of wiping used on them1 do not reach this figure2 others1 more simply printed1 may yield three to four thousand proofs1 and sometimes even a still larger number4 ,as soon as the plate shows the slightest change1 or the copper begins to reappear1 the coating of steel is removed by chemical agents1 which1 acting differently on the two metals1 corrode the one1 while they leave the other untouched4 ,the plate is thus brought back to its original state1 and is therefore in the same condition as before to receive a second steel-facing4 ,in this way plates may be de-steeled and re-steeled a great many times1 and the proofs printed from them may be carried up to considerable quantities4 ,as a rule1 the plates are not steel-faced until after the proofs before lettering have been printed4 ,soft-ground etchings1 the biting of which is quite shallow1 must be steel-faced after two to three hundred impressions4 ,the delicacy of the bur thrown up by the dry point hardly permits the printing of more than twenty or thirty proofs on an average2 steel-facing carries this number up to a point which cannot be fixed absolutely1 but it is certain that the bur takes the steel quite as well and as solidly as an etched line4 ,dry points may1 therefore1 yield long editions2 the steel-facing must in that case be renewed whenever necessary4#bf #ajj4 ,copper-facing ,zink ,plates4--,zink plates cannot be steel-faced1 but they can be copper-faced4#bg ,steel-facing has been adopted by the ,chalcographic ,office of the ,louvre1 and by the ,gazette des ,beaux ,arts1 that remarkable and unique publication which is an honor to criticism and is found in all art libraries4 ,steel-facing1 in fact1 is universally employed2 it preserves in good condition the beautiful plates of our engravers1 and makes it possible to put within reach of a great many people engravings of a choice kind1 which but lately were found only in the salons of the rich and the collections of passionate amateurs4 ,illustration3 ,,an ,,etcher',s ,,studio4 ,from the ,third ,edition of ,abraham ,bosse's ,treatise1 ,paris1 #ageh4 ,illustration3 ,croquis d'apres nature1 pour servir de modeles1 #ahgg4 ,le ,waag1 ,amsterdam4 ,,notes ,,by ,,the ,,translator4 #a 7p4 #b47 ,to these associations may be added the ,german ,etching ,clubs at ,duesseldorf and at ,weimar1 which issue yearly portfolios of plates executed by their members1 and the ,american ,etching ,clubs at ,new ,york and at ,cincinnati4 ,the ,new ,york ,etching ,club was organized in ,april1 #ahgg1 with ,dr4 ,l4 ,m4 ,yale as its first president4 ,at this writing ,mr4 ,james ,d4 ,smillie is the presiding officer of the club1 which has about twenty-four members1 including many of the leading artists of ,new ,york4 ,the ,cincinnati ,etching ,club is composed almost entirely of amateurs4 ,its president is ,mr4 ,george ,mc,laughlin4 ,quite lately an ,etching ,club has also been formed in ,boston1 with ,mr4 ,edmund ,h4 ,garrett as president4 #b 7p4 #c47 ,benzine is preferable to turpentine for most of the operations of the etcher1 but more especially for cleaning soiled hands4 ,it is advisable to use turpentine only when the benzine proves insufficient to remove the last traces of ground or ink from the lines4 #c 7p4 #i47 ,something about tools and materials has already been said in the ,introductory ,chapter1 p4 xiv4 ,what is left to be said follows here3-- ,copper plates1 from visiting-card size 7at #a per dozen71 to any required size can be bought of1 or ordered through1 the firms named on p4 xiii1 or of ,mr4 ,geo4 ,b4 ,sharp1 #de ,gold ,st41 ,new ,york4 ,mr4 ,sharp will send price-lists on application4 ,the plates usually sold1 at least of the smaller sizes1 are made of an alloy1 not of pure copper4 ,these alloy plates are cheaper and bite more quickly than those of pure copper1 but it happens occasionally that they do not bite evenly1 owing to want of homogeneity in the metal4 ,still1 they are extensively used1 and amateurs will find them preferable to the more expensive copper plates4 ,etching-ground4 ,a recipe for a cheap and yet a very good ordinary ground has been given on p4 xv4 ,the transparent ground consists of #e parts1 by weight1 of white wax4 #c gum-mastic4 ,gum-mastic costs about thirty-five cents an ounce4 ,melt the wax first1 and add the gum-mastic in powder gradually1 stirring all the while with a clean glass or metal rod4 ,stopping-out varnish4 7,see p4 xvi47 ,there is a varnish sold at painters' supply-stores under the name of ,asphaltum ,varnish for ,sign-,writers' ,use1 which does very well4 ,in ,boston ,asahel ,wheeler sells it at fifteen cents a bottle4 ,needle-holders are unnecessary if the points described on p4 xvi are used4 ,burnishers are sold at the hardware-stores1 or by dealers in watchmakers' materials4 ,they ought not to cost above fifty cents apiece4 ,scrapers4 ,same as burnishers4 ,price not above #a4 ,some dealers ask #b1 which is exorbitant4 ,a lens can be obtained of any optician4 ,in ,boston they can also be had of ,a4,j4 ,wilkinson ,co41 hardware dealers1 #ahd ,washington ,st41 at prices varying from #a to #a4ej4 ,india-rubber finger-gloves are unnecessary if you use the plate-lifter described on p4 xvii4 ,nitric acid4 ,messrs4 ,powers ,weightman's ,nitric ,acid1 ,c4 ,p4 7i4 e4 chemically pure71 recommended on p4 xvii1 is #db degrees1 and ,messrs4 ,p4 ,w4 inform me that the strength is tolerably uniform4 ,if you are an enthusiastic etcher it will be best to buy a seven-pound bottle1 which is the next largest to the one-pound bottles4 ,tracing-paper1 gelatine1 chalk1 and sanguine can be obtained at the artists' material stores4 ,emery-paper4 ,hardware-stores4 ,price four cents a sheet4 ,roller for revarnishing4 ,see ,note #e4 ,to the tools and materials mentioned by ,m4 ,lalanne the following must be added3 ,whiting1 benzine1 turpentine1 alcohol1 willow charcoal4 ,the last-named article can be supplied by ,mr4 ,geo4 ,b4 ,sharp1 of #de ,gold ,st41 ,new ,york1 before mentioned4 #d 7p4 #aa47 ,i wrote to ,m4 ,lalanne to find out the ingredients of the petit vernis liquide and vernis au pinceau1 but he says that he does not know1 and that the recipes are a secret of the maker of these varnishes4 ,the asphaltum varnish mentioned on p4 xvi and in ,note #c does excellently well1 however1 both for stopping out and retouching4 ,after it has been fanned 7see p4 xxi7 until it has thickened sufficiently not to stick to the finger when touched1 but before it is quite dry1 it can be worked upon with the point4 ,if not dry enough1 which will manifest itself readily as soon as you have drawn the first line1 fan again4 ,if it were allowed to dry absolutely1 it would chip off under the needle4 ,there is a liquid ground1 made by ,mr4 ,louis ,delnoce of the ,american ,bank ,note ,company1 ,new ,york1 which--so ,mr4 ,jas4 ,d4 ,smillie informs me--is used for retouches by the engravers of the company1 is applied with the brush1 is a very quick dryer1 tough1 and resists acid perfectly4 ,mr4 ,delnoce sells it in ounce bottles at seventy-five cents each4 #e 7p4 #ab47 ,the roller for revarnishing1 spoken of by ,m4 ,lalanne1 and also recommended by ,mr4 ,hamerton1 cannot be bought in this country4 ,nor--with all due deference to the great experience of ,m4 ,lalanne--is such a large and expensive roller necessary4 ,the rollers used by our most experienced etchers--,mr4 ,jas4 ,d4 ,smillie1 for instance--are little cylinders of ,india-rubber1 about one inch in diameter and one and one-half inches long4 ,they cost from #ej cents to #b each4 ,but these rollers cannot be used with etching-paste4 ,the oil of lavender in the paste attacks the rubber and destroys it4 ,as to the manner of using the ,india-rubber roller see ,note #ab4 #f 7p4 #bj47 ,the use of bordering wax is not advisable4 ,but as some etchers still employ it1 ,i add a recipe for making it1 which was kindly communicated to me by ,mr4 ,peter ,moran of ,philadelphia3-- #c lbs4 ,burgundy pitch4 #a lb4 yellow beeswax4 #a gill sweet oil4 ,melt together and then form into strips4 #g 7p4 #ba47 ,etching is the most individual of the reproductive arts 7or rather of the multiplying arts1 the ,german vervielfaeltigende ,kuenste71 even in its technical processes4 ,therefore nearly every etcher has his own ways of doing1 and few agree on all points4 ,many etchers do not think it necessary to weaken the acid as described in the text4 ,but be sure to let it cool after it has been mixed with water1 before you immerse your plate6 #h 7p4 #bb47 ,it would take altogether too long to wait for the perfect drying of the asphaltum varnish1 nor is it necessary4 ,fan it1 as described in ,note #d1 and as soon as it ceases to stick you can again immerse your plate4 #i 7p4 #be47 ,i have never been able to notice this turning dark of the lines1 although ,i have had plates in the bath for several hours1 and some of my artist acquaintances whom ,i have consulted on the point1 have confirmed my experience4 ,possibly the phenomenon described by ,m4 ,lalanne may be caused by impurities in the acid4 #aj 7p4 #bg47 ,if the reader will make use of the device for lifting the plate into and out of the bath1 which ,i have described on p4 xvii1 there will be no necessity of burning his fingers4 ,with a little precaution1 and a plentiful use of benzine for washing and cleaning1 the daintiest lady's hand need not suffer from etching4 #aa 7p4 #bi47 ,for directions for making this ground see ,note #c4 #ab 7p4 #ch47 ,to make the varnish1 or rather etching-paste1 recommended in the text1 a warm-water bath is not absolutely necessary4 ,take any small porcelain or earthenware vessel 7a small gallipot is very convenient1 because the etching-paste can be kept in it for use71 and set it upon a metal frame1 easily made of wire1 so that you can introduce a spirit lamp under it4 ,break up a ball1 or part of a ball1 of ordinary etching-ground1 and throw it into the pot4 ,heat the pot carefully1 so as just to allow the ground to melt4 ,when it has melted1 add oil of lavender 7worth thirty-five cents an ounce at the druggist's71 drop by drop1 and keep stirring the mixture with a clean glass rod4 ,from time to time allow a drop of the mixture to fall on a cold glass or metal plate4 ,if1 on cooling1 it assumes the consistency of pomatum1 the paste is finished4 ,as ,i have said before1 this paste cannot be used with the ,india-rubber rollers recommended in ,note #e4 ,with these rollers the regrounding must be done with the ordinary etching-ground with the aid of heat4 ,warm your plate so that you can just bear to touch it with the hand1 and allow some of the ground to melt on a second1 unused copper plate4 ,also warm the roller slightly4 ,then proceed as ,m4 ,lalanne directs in his fifty-seventh paragraph4 ,the slight changes in the proceeding1 which grow out of the differences between cold and warm ground1 are self-evident4 ,it is hardly necessary to say that the roller can also be used for laying the first ground4 ,but it is of no use on any but perfectly smooth1 straight plates1 as it cannot penetrate into hollows4 ,when it is not available the dabber must be employed in the old manner4 #ac 7p4 #ci47 ,some engravers prefer the dabber to the roller even for regrounding entire plates4 ,in that case the ground is spread on the margin of the plate1 if that be wide enough1 or on a separate plate1 and is taken up by the dabber4 ,the plate to be regrounded must of course be warmed as for laying a ground with the roller1 and care must be taken not to have the dabber overcharged with ground4 #ad 7p4 #dj47 ,in default of the charcoal-paste1 rubbing with the finest emery-paper will do to remove the polish4 #ae 7p4 #dj47 ,i cannot direct the reader to a copper-planer1 and therefore it will be best to give some directions for removing faulty passages4 ,the following paragraphs are copied bodily from ,mr4 ,hamerton3-- ,the most rapid way is to use sandpapers of different degrees of coarseness1 the coarsest first1 and then the scraper1 and1 finally1 willow charcoal with olive oil4 ,the charcoal will leave the surface in a fit state to etch upon4 ,this scraping and rubbing hollows out the surface of the copper1 and if it hollows it too much the printing will not be quite satisfactory in that part of the plate4 ,in that case you have nothing to do but mark the spot on the back of the plate with a pair of calipers1 then lay the plate on its face upon a block of polished steel1 and give it two or three blows with a hammer 7mind that the hammer is rounded so as not to indent the copper74 #af 7p4 #dh47 ,the process here alluded to is the one used by ,mr4 ,haden4 ,the mordant is the so-called ,dutch mordant1 and the manner of making it is thus described by ,mr4 ,hamerton3-- ,first heat the water by putting the bottle containing it into a pan also containing water1 and keep it on the fire till that in the pan boils4 ,now add the chlorate of potash1 and see that every crystal of it is dissolved4 ,shake the bottle to help the solution4 ,when no more crystals are to be seen1 you may add the hydrochloric acid4 ,make a good quantity of this mordant at once1 so as always to have a plentiful supply by you4 ,for a full account of the ,haden process see ,mr4 ,hamerton's ,etcher's ,handbook1 or the second edition of his ,etching and ,etchers4 ,this ,dutch mordant is preferred to nitric acid by many etchers1--even when working1 not in the bath1 but in the ordinary way1 as taught by ,m4 ,lalanne1--because it bites down into the copper1 and hardly widens the lines4 ,from my experience1 writes ,mr4 ,jas4 ,d4 ,smillie1 in a letter now before me1 ,i unhesitatingly prefer the ,dutch mordant for copper2 it bites a very fine black line1 it is not so severe a trial to the ground1 and it does not need constant watching4 ,mr4 ,smillie1 however1 uses the mordant much stronger than ,mr4 ,haden4 ,he has1 in fact1 invented a process of his own1 which1 in a letter to me1 he describes as follows3-- ,i draw and bite as ,i progress2 that is1 ,i draw in the darkest parts first1 give them a good nip with the mordant1 wash the plate and dry it1 and then draw the next stage4 ,i can thus1 by drawing lines over a part that has already been exposed to the mordant1 interlace heavy and light lines in a way that ,i could not by any other process4 ,i etch upon an unsmoked ground1 and as the ,dutch mordant bites a black line1 ,i see my etching clearly as it advances1 ,by holding the head well over the plate1 the lines can be very distinctly seen as they are drawn4 ,after a little experimenting1 the etcher will find the angle at which he can see his unbitten work upon an unsmoked ground without trouble4 ,mr4 ,hamerton's formula seemed to me too weak1 so ,i am experimenting with ,muriatic acid1 #a ounce4 ,chlorate of potash1 #a-e ,water1 #e ounces4 ,this is the mordant ,i am now using1 and ,i have found it to work well4 ,still1 as ,i am not a scientific chemist1 and my knowledge is entirely empiric1 ,i am prepared to believe any chemist who may tell me that ,i might do as well1 or better1 with more water4 ,generally ,i do not get all the color ,i wish by the first process1 as ,i can see without removing the ground2 so1 when my etching is finished1 ,i reverse the engine and begin stopping out and biting upon the original ground1 as it is ordinarily done4 ,i do not use the black asphaltum varnish for stopping out1 but a transparent varnish that is simply white resin dissolved in alcohol4 ,if applied very carefully1 and allowed time to dry1 it is perfectly clear and transparent1 and the relations of all parts of the plate can be seen1--the stopped out as well as the bitten lines1--but to a careless worker it presents many troubles4 ,it is so transparent that it is hard to see what is stopped out and what is not1 and if washed with very warm water1 or before it is thoroughly dry1 it turns cloudy and semi-opaque4 ,i have no trouble with it1 and could not get along without it4 ,i make it myself1--have no formula1--adding alcohol until it is thin enough to flow readily from the brush4 ,it has a great advantage over asphaltum varnish1 as it does not flow along a line4 ,it is viscid enough to remain just where it is put1 and is as perfect a protection as any asphaltum varnish4 ,mr4 ,smillie heats his bath on the plate-warmer1 but not to exceed #hj deg41 or at most #ij deg4 ,such a bath of hot mordant acts much more quickly than a cold acid bath1 less than two minutes being sufficient for the lightest lines4 #ag 7p4 #ej47 ,gravers are of different shapes1 according to the nature of the line which they are intended to produce4 ,they are sometimes kept at the hardware-stores1 as1 for instance1 by ,a4 ,j4 ,wilkinson ,co41 #ahd ,washington ,st41 ,boston4 ,this house also issues an illustrated catalogue of engravers' tools4 #ah 7p4 #eb47 ,m4 ,lalanne1 it seems to me1 does not do full justice to zinc plates4 ,very delicate lines can be bitten on zinc if the acid is sufficiently weakened4 ,i have found that one part of nitric acid to eight parts of water1 used on zinc1 is about equal to one-half acid and one-half water1 used on copper for about the same length of time4 ,zinc plates can also be bought of ,mr4 ,geo4 ,b4 ,sharp1 #de ,gold ,st41 ,new ,york4 ,as to the length of edition that can be printed from a zinc plate1 see ,note #bg4 #ai 7p4 #eb47 ,this is not strictly correct4 ,the maniere de crayon1 as practised by ,demarteau and others1 differs materially from soft-ground etching4 ,a ground was laid and smoked as usual1 and on it the drawing was produced1 by a variety of instruments1 such as points1 some of them multiple1 the roulette1 the mattoir1 etc4 #bj 7p4 #ee47 ,there is another method of getting what may be called a proof1 i4 e4 by taking a cast in plaster4 ,ink your plate and wipe it clean1 as described in ,note #bb1 and then pour over it plaster-of-,paris mixed with water4 ,when the plaster has hardened it can easily be separated from the plate1 and the ink in the lines will adhere to it4 ,to make such a cast you must manage a rim around your plate1 or you may lay it into a paper box1 face upward4 ,mix about half a tumbler full of water 7or more1 according to the size of the plate7 with double the quantity of plaster1 adding the plaster1 little by little1 and stirring continually4 ,when the mixture begins to thicken pour it on the plate1 and if necessary spread it over the whole of the surface by means of a piece of wood or anything else that will answer4 ,then allow it to harden4 #ba 7p4 #ee47 ,the chafing-dish and the ball 7or dabber7 are now replaced by the gas flame and the inking-roller in most printing establishments4 ,but if you desire to do your own proving1 you will have to use a dabber1 the manner of making which is described in the next note4 #bb 7p4 #ei47 ,if there is no plate-printer near you1 but you have access to a lithographic printing establishment1 you can have your proofs taken there4 ,lithographic presses1 says ,a4 ,potemont1 give perfectly good and satisfactory proofs of etchings4 ,not every printer can print an etching as it ought to be printed4 ,a man may be an excellent printer of line engravings and mezzotints1 and yet may be totally unfit to print an etching4 ,i would recommend the following printing establishments3-- ,new ,york3 ,kimmel ,voigt1 #bdb ,canal ,street4 ,boston3 ,j4 ,h4 ,daniels1 #bbc ,washington ,street4 ,if you desire to establish an amateur printing-office of your own you will need1 in addition to the tools and materials already in your possession3-- ,a press1 ,a plate-warmer1 ,an ink-slab1 ,a muller1 ,a dabber or ball1 ,rags for wiping1 ,printing-ink1 ,paper4 ,the press4 ,the presses used by professional plate-printers will be thought too large and too costly by most etchers4 ,there is a small press sold by ,madame ,ve4 ,a4 ,cadart1 #ef ,boulevard ,haussmann1 ,paris1 of which a representation is given on the next page4 ,this press1 accompanied by all the necessary accessories1--rags1 ink1 paper1 plate-warmer1 dabber1 etc41--sells in ,paris at the price of #aej francs 7about #cj74 ,there is an extra charge for boxing2 and freight1 duties1 etc41 must also be paid for1 extra1 on presses imported to this country4 ,the publishers of this book are ready to take orders for these presses1 but ,i cannot inform the reader what the charges will amount to1 as no importations have yet been made by ,messrs4 ,estes ,lauriat4 ,there is also a small press invented by ,mr4 ,hamerton and made in ,london by ,mr4 ,charles ,roberson1 #ii ,long ,acre1 which sells on the other side1 for the press only1 at two guineas for the smallest1 and four guineas for a larger size4 ,these presses are smaller than the ,cadart presses1 and1 according to ,mr4 ,hamerton1 are very portable affairs1 which an etcher might put in his box when travelling1 and use anywhere1 in an inn1 in a friend's house1 or even out of doors when etching from nature4 ,a small press has also quite lately been introduced by ,messrs4 ,janentzky ,co41 of ,philadelphia1 which costs only #af4ej 7without accessories71 and is well recommended by those who have used it4 ,illustration ,the press is not complete without the flannels spoken of in the text 7p4 #ef1 ,sec4 #hg74 ,there is a kind of very thick flannel specially made for printers' use4 ,but if this cannot be had 7of some plate-printer7 any good flannel with a piece of thick soft cloth over it will do well enough4 ,in adjusting the press care must be taken that the pressure is neither too great nor too small4 ,this is a matter of experience4 ,the plate-warmer is a box made of strong sheet-iron1 into which either a gas-jet or a small kerosene lamp can be introduced4 ,if you happen to have a gas-stove1 and can get an iron plate of some kind to lay across the top1 you will have an excellent plate-warmer4 ,the ink-slab4 ,any smooth slab of marble1 slate1 or lithographic stone1 about a foot square1 will do4 ,a muller4 ,this is a pestle of stone1 flat at the bottom1 used for grinding colors or ink4 ,a dabber or ball4 ,take strips of thick cloth or flannel1 about four or five inches wide2 roll them together as tightly as possible1 until you have a cylinder of two or three inches in diameter2 bind firmly by strong twine wound all around the cylinder2 then cut one end with a large sharp knife1 so as to get a smooth surface4 ,after the dabber has been used for some time1 and the ink has hardened in it1 cut off another slice so as to get a fresh surface4 ,rags for wiping4 ,fine ,swiss muslin and the fabric known as cheese cloth make good rags for wiping4 ,they can be bought at the dry-goods stores4 ,as they are charged with some material to make them stiff and increase the weight1 they must be washed before they are used4 ,when they have become too much charged with ink they may be boiled out in a solution of potash or soda in water4 ,the ,swiss muslin costs about twelve cents a yard1 the cheese cloth about five4 ,i had a lot of rags specially sent to me from ,paris1 as ,i wished to see the difference between the soft and the stiff muslin4 ,the parcel contained a collection of pieces of a sort of ,swiss muslin1 evidently old curtains1 and some pieces of old cotton shirting1 some of which had done duty at the ,hotel des ,invalides1 still bearing its stamp6 ,printing-ink and paper4 7,see ,notes #bc and #bd47 ,to ink the plate1 place it on the plate-warmer and allow it to become as hot as your hand can bear4 ,then take up the ink from the ink-slab with the dabber and spread it all over the surface1 moving the dabber along with a rocking motion1 but not striking the plate with it4 ,take care that the lines are well filled4 ,sometimes1 in the first inking of the plate1 it is necessary to use the finger to force the ink into the lines4 ,in wiping the plate the first operation is to remove all the superfluous ink from the surface by means of a rag4 ,what follows depends on the kind of impression you desire to get4 ,if you want a natural1 clean1 or dry proof1 as these impressions are variously called 7i4 e4 an impression which shows only black lines on a perfectly clear white ground71 charge the palm of your hand with a very little whiting or ,spanish white1 and with it finish the wiping of the plate4 ,this operation will leave the surface of the plate perfectly clean and bright1 while the ink remains in the lines4 ,if you desire to have an even tint left all over the plate1 avoid the use of the hand1 and wipe with the rag only4 ,plate-printers use their rags moist1 but for printing etchings a dry rag is preferable1 as it leaves more of a tint on the plate4 ,note1 also1 that the rag must be tolerably well charged with ink to enable you to wipe a good tint with it4 ,the margin of the plate1 even if a tint is left over it1 must always be wiped clean4 ,this is best accomplished by a bit of cotton cloth charged with whiting4 ,for the rest1 nothing is left but to experiment according to the hints given in the text by ,m4 ,lalanne4 #bc 7p4 #ei47 ,if you can1 buy your ink of a plate-printer or of a lithographer4 ,that used by book-printers will not do6 ,the trouble is that the ink used by ordinary plate-printers is of a disagreeably cold cast1 as it is mixed with blue4 ,etchings ought to be printed with a warm black1 and sometimes1 especially in the case of somewhat over-bitten plates1 with an ink of a decidedly brownish hue4 ,inks are made of linseed-oil varnish 7i4 e4 linseed oil that has been boiled down or burned71 and the blacks mentioned in the text4 ,there are various qualities of varnish according to its consistency1 varying from thin through medium to stiff4 ,if you wish to mix your own ink1 you must try to procure the materials of some plate-printer or lithographer4 ,for varnish use the medium1 for black the ,francfort4 ,the burnt ,sienna 7which you can buy at any paint-shop7 is used only to warm up the black4 ,lay some of the dry color on your ink-slab1 add a very little of the varnish1 and mix with the muller4 ,then add more varnish until the ink forms a tolerably stiff paste4 ,the grinding must be carefully done1 so as to avoid grittiness4 ,besides1 if the color is not thoroughly well incorporated with the varnish1 the ink will not stand4 ,to preserve the ink for future use1 put it into some vessel with a cover1 and pour water over it4 ,the water standing on top of the ink keeps it soft4 ,otherwise the varnish would harden4 #bd 7p4 #fj47 ,the heavy ,dutch hand-made papers are still preferred by most people for etchings2 but it is very difficult1 if not impossible1 to procure them in this country4 ,the paper known as ,lalanne charcoal paper1 which is likewise a hand-made paper1 can be bought at the artist's material stores4 ,good drawing-paper will also answer4 ,the worst1 because most inartistic1 of all1 is the plain white plate paper4 ,the paper used for the etchings in the ,,american ,,art ,,review1 first made especially for this journal according to my suggestions1 has excellent printing qualities1 although1 being a machine-made1 unglued paper1 it lacks some of the characteristics of the ,dutch hand-made paper4 ,but its texture is very good1 and it takes up the ink even better than the ,dutch papers4 ,japanese paper can be procured of the firms named on page xiii4 ,dry paper will not take a decent impression1 and the sheets to be used for printing must therefore be moistened4 ,to prepare the ordinary paper1 take three or four sheets at a time1 and pass them slowly through clean water contained in a pail or other vessel4 ,wet as many sheets as you may need1 lay them on top of one another1 place the pile between two boards1 and allow them to lie thus under tolerably heavy pressure for at least twelve1 or1 better still1 for twenty-four hours4 ,the paper will then be ready for use4 ,to prepare ,japanese paper1 lay each sheet between two wet sheets of ordinary paper1 and let it lie as before4 #be 7p4 #fj47 ,epreuves de remarque4 ,the remarque usually consists in leaving unfinished some little detail in an out-of-the-way corner of the plate4 ,after the epreuves de remarque have been printed1 this detail is finished4 ,a person who cannot tell a good impression from a bad one1 or does not know whether a plate is spoiled or still in good condition1 without some such extraneous sign1 has slight claim to be considered a connoisseur4 #bf 7p4 #fb47 ,new ,york is1 for the present1 ,i believe1 the only place where steel-facing is done in ,america4 ,i can recommend ,mr4 ,f4 ,a4 ,ringler1 #ba and #bc ,barclay ,street1 ,new ,york4 #bg 7p4 #fb47 ,zinc plates can be steel-faced1 but the facing cannot be renewed1 as it cannot be removed4 ,the zinc plate on which ,mr4 ,lansil's little etching1 given in this volume1 is executed1 was steel-faced4 ,it is feasible also1 the electrotypers tell me1 to deposit a thin coating of copper on the zinc first1 and then to superimpose a coating of steel4 ,in that case the steel-facing can be renewed as long as the copper-facing under it remains intact4 ,,list ,,of ,,works ,,on ,,the ,,practice ,,and ,,history ,,of ,,etching4,e ,e ,this list is very far from being complete1 especially in the last section1 ,individual ,artists4 ,i have made a few additions1 which have been marked by an asterisk4 ,those who desire to pursue the subject will find a very full bibliographical list in ,j4 ,e4 ,,wessely',s ,anleitung zur ,kenntniss und zum ,sammeln der ,werke des ,kunstdruckes1 ,leipzig1 ,weigel1 #ahgf1 p4 #bgi et seq4--,translator4 ,a4 ,,technical ,,treatises4 ,de la gravure en taille-douce1 a l'eau-forte et au burin1 ensemble la maniere d'en imprimer les planches et d'en construire la presse1 par ,,abraham ,,bosse4 ,paris1 #afde4 ,traite des manieres de graver en taille-douce sur l'airain par le moyen des eaux-fortes et des vernis durs et mols1 par le s4 ,,abraham ,,bosse1 augmente de la nouvelle maniere dont se sert ,m4 ,,leclerc1 graveur du roi4 ,paris1 #agja4 99 ,de la maniere de graver a l'eau-forte et au burin1 et de la gravure en maniere noir 444 par ,,abraham ,,bosse4 ,nouvelle edition4444 ,paris1 #ageh4 ,small #hvo4 ,ill4 99 ,die ,kunst in ,kupfer zu stechen sowohl mittelst des ,aetzwassers als mit dem ,grabstichel 444 durch ,,abraham ,,bosse4444 ,aus dem ,franzoesischen ins ,deutsche uebersetzt4 ,dresden1 #agfe4 ,small #hvo4 ,ill4 ,the ,art of ,graveing and ,etching1 wherein is exprest the true ,way of ,graveing in ,copper2 allso the ,manner and ,method of that famous ,callot1 and ,m4 ,bosse1 in their several ,ways of ,etching4 ,published by ,,william ,,faithorne4 ,london1 #affb4 #hvo4 ,ill4 ,idee de la gravure1 par ,m4 ,,de ,m 99 99 994 ,without place or date4 #abmo4 7,this essay appeared originally in the ,mercure for ,april1 #agef1 and was afterwards printed separately4 ,see1 also1 in the ,mercure for #agee1 a notice1 announcing the publication of a print by de ,marcenay de ,ghuy after the elder ,parrocel4 ,this notice was also printed separately47 ,idee de la gravure 444 par ,m4 ,,de ,,marcenay ,,de ,,ghuy4 ,paris1 #agfd4 ,in-#d de #af et #aj pag4 7,this is a second edition of the work last mentioned47 99 ,anleitung zur ,aetzkunst 444 nach eigenen praktischen ,erfahrungen herausgegeben von ,,johann ,,heinrich ,,meynier4 ,hof1 #ahjd4 #hvo4 ,ill4 ,lectures on the ,art of ,engraving1 delivered at the ,royal ,institute of ,great ,britain1 by ,,john ,,landseer1 ,engraver to the ,king4 ,london1 #ahjg4 #hvo4 ,three ,lectures on ,engraving1 delivered at the ,surrey ,institution in the ,year #ahji1 by ,,robert ,,mitchell ,,meadows4 ,london1 #ahaa4 #hvo4 ,manuel du graveur1 ou ,traite complet de la gravure en tous genres1 d'apres les renseignements fournis par plusieurs artistes4 ,par ,a4 ,m4 ,,perrot4 ,paris1 #ahcj4 ,in-#ah4 ,des mordants1 des vernis et des planches dans l'art du graveur1 ou ,traite complet de la gravure4 ,par ,,pierre ,,deleschamps4 ,paris1 #ahcf4 ,in-#h4 99 ,vollstaendiges ,handbuch der ,gravirkunst1 enthaltend gruendliche ,belehrungen ueber die ,aetzwaesser1 die ,aetzgruende1 die ,platten und die ,gravir-maschinen4444 ,von ,,pet4 ,,deleschamps4 ,deutsch1 mit ,zusaetzen1 von ,dr4 ,,chr4 ,h4 ,,schmidt4 ,quedlinburg und ,leipzig1 ,basse1 #ahch4 ,ill4 ,the ,art of ,engraving1 with the various ,modes of ,operation4444 ,by ,t4 ,h4 ,,fielding4 ,london1 #ahdd4 #hvo4 ,ill4 ,lettre de ,martial sur les elements de la gravure a l'eau-forte4 ,paris1 #ahfd4 7,etched on #d fol4 plates1 illustrated47 ,nouveau traite de la gravure a l'eau-forte a l'usage des peintres et des dessinateurs1 par ,a4 ,p4 ,,martial4 ,paris1 ,a4 ,cadart4 #ahgc4 ,ill4 99 ,the ,etcher's ,handbook3 giving an ,account of the ,old ,processes1 and of ,processes recently discovered4 ,by ,,philip ,,gilbert ,,hamerton4 ,london1 ,roberson1 #ahga4 ,ill4 7,see also ,mr4 ,hamerton's ,etching and ,etchers1 #b;d edition47 99 ,mr4 ,seymour ,haden on ,etching4 ,lectures delivered at the ,royal ,institution1 reports of which were published in ,the ,magazine of ,art1 #ahgi1 and in the ,london ,building ,news1 #ahgi4 99 ,the ,etcher's ,guide4 ,by ,,thomas ,,bishop4 ,philadelphia1 ,janentzky1 #ahgi4 ,ill4 ,grammaire des ,arts du ,dessin1 par ,,charles ,,blanc4 ,in this work 7of which there is also an ,english translation71 there is a special chapter on ,etching4 ,charles ,jacque4 ,articles by him on ,etching in the ,magasin pittoresque4 ,gravure4--,article extrait de l',encyclopedie des arts et metiers4 ,in-fol1 de #i pag41 fig4 ,b4 ,,historical ,,and ,,theoretical4 99 ,anleitung zur ,kupferstichkunde4 ,,von ,,adam ,,von ,,bartsch4 ,wien1 #ahba4 #b vols4 #hvo4 ,plates4 ,des types et des manieres des maitres graveurs1 pour servir a l'histoire de la gravure en ,italie1 en ,allemagne1 dans les ,pays-,bas et en ,france1 par ,,jules ,,renouvier4 ,montpellier1 #ahec-ahef4 #d parties in-#d4 ,la gravure depuis son origine1 par ,,henri ,,delaborde4 #ahfj4 7,these articles appeared in the ,revue des ,deux ,mondes for ,dec4 #a and #ae1 #ahej1 and ,jan4 #a1 #ahea47 ,histoire de la gravure en ,france1 par ,,georges ,,duplessis4 ,paris1 #ahfa4 ,in-#h4 7,this work was crowned by the ,french ,institute ,academie des beaux-arts47 ,etching and ,etchers4 ,by ,,philip ,,gilbert ,,hamerton4 ,london1 ,macmillan1 #ahfh4 #dto4 ,ill4 99 ,etching and ,etchers4 ,by ,,philip ,,gilbert ,,hamerton4 7,second edition47 #ahgf4 ,london1 ,macmillan4 ,boston1 ,roberts ,bros4 99 ,the ,origin and ,antiquity of ,engraving4444 ,by ,w4 ,s4 ,,baker4 ,boston1 ,osgood1 #ahge4 #dto4 7,second edition4 ,ill47 ,la ,gravure a l'eau-forte1 essai historique par ,,raoul ,,de ,,saint-,,arroman4--,comment je devins graveur a l'eau-forte1 par le comte ,,lepic4 ,paris1 ,cadart1 #ahgf4 99 ,anleitung zur ,kenntniss und zum ,sammeln der ,werke des ,kunstdruckes1 von ,j4 ,e4 ,,wessely4 ,leipzig1 ,weigel1 #ahgf4 #hvo4 99 ,about ,etching4 ,part ,i4 ,notes by ,mr4 ,,seymour ,,haden on a ,collection of ,etchings by the ,great ,masters4444 ,part ,,ii4 ,an ,annotated ,catalogue of the ,etchings exhibited4 #adh ,new ,bond ,street 7,london71 #ahgi4 7,second edition1 which has some additions47 99 ,about ,etching4 ,by ,,seymour ,,haden4 ,illustrated with an original etching by ,mr4 ,haden1 and fourteen facsimiles from his collection4 ,imperial #dto4 ,london1 ,the ,fine ,art ,society1 #ahgi4 ,c4 ,,catalogues ,,of ,,the ,,works ,,of ,,the ,,artists4 7a47 ,,dictionaries4 ,le peintre-graveur1 par ,,adam ,,bartsch4 ,vienne1 #ahjc-ahba4 #ba vol4 in-#h et un atlas in-#d4 99 ,le peintre-graveur4 ,par ,j4 ,d4 ,,passavant4 ,leipzig1 #ahfj4 #f vols4 #hvo4 7,continuation of ,bartsch's work47 ,le peintre-graveur francais1 444 par ,,robert ,,dumesnil4 ,paris1 #ahce-ahgd4 #aa vol4 in-#h4 ,le peintre-graveur francais continue1 par ,,prosper ,,de ,,beaudicour4 ,paris1 #ahei4 #b vol4 in-#h4 99 ,le peintre-graveur hollandais et flamand4 ,par ,j4 ,p4 ,,van ,,der ,,kellen4 ,utrecht1 #ahff4 #dto4 7,continuation of ,bartsch's work47 99 ,le peintre-graveur hollandais et belge du ,,xixe siecle4 ,par ,t4 ,,hippert et ,,jos4 ,,linnig4 ,bruxelles1 #ahgd 7first vol47 et seq4 #hvo4 99 ,der deutsche ,peintre-graveur4 ,von ,a4 ,,andresen4 ,leipzig1 #ahfd1 et seq4 #e vols4 #hvo4 99 ,die ,malerradirer des #ai4 ,jahrhunderts4 ,von ,a4 ,,andresen4 ,leipzig1 #ahff-ahgj4 #d vols4 #hvo4 99 ,die ,malerradirer des #ai4 ,jahrhunderts4 ,von ,j4 ,e4 ,,wessely4 ,leipzig1 #ahgd4 #hvo4 7,continuation of ,andresen's work47 7b47 ,,individual ,,artists4 ,beredeneerde catalogus van alle de prenten van ,,nicolaas ,,berghem 444 beschreven door ,,hendrick ,,de ,,winter4 ,amsterdam1 #agfg4 ,catalogue de l'oeuvre d',abraham ,bosse1 par ,,georges ,,duplessis4 ,paris1 #ahei4 ,in-#h4 7,from the ,revue ,universelle des ,arts47 ,eloge historique de ,callot1 par le ,p4 ,,husson4 ,bruxelles1 #agff4 ,in-#d4 ,a ,catalogue and ,description of the whole of the ,works of the celebrated ,,jacques ,,callot 444 by ,j4 ,h4 ,,green 7attributed to ,,claussin74 #ahjd4 #abmo4 ,eloge historique de ,callot1 par ,m4 ,,desmaretz4 ,nancy1 #ahbh4 ,in-#h4 ,recherches sur la vie et les ouvrages de ,j4 ,,callot1 par ,e4 ,,meaume4 ,paris1 #ahfj4 #b vol4 in-#h4 ,o,euvre de ,claude ,gelee1 dit le ,lorrain1 par le comte ,,guillaume ,,de ,l4 7,,leppel74 ,dresde1 #ahjf4 ,in-#h1 fig4 7,for the engraved works of ,claude ,lorrain1 see also the ,peintre-graveur of ,m4 ,robert ,dumesnil1 vol4 i41 and the ,cabinet de l',amateur et de l',antiquaire1 by ,eugene ,piot1 vol4 ii4 pp4 #dcc-dff47 ,eloge historique de ,claude ,gelee1 dit le ,lorrain1 par ,j4 ,p4 ,,voiart4 ,nancy1 #ahci4 ,in-#h4 ,a ,description of the ,works of the ingenious ,delineator and ,engraver1 ,,wenceslaus ,,hollar1 disposed into ,classes of different ,sorts2 with some ,account of his ,life4 ,by ,g4 ,,vertue4 ,london1 #agde4 #dto1 ,portr4 ,de la gravure a l'eau-forte et des eaux-fortes de ,charles ,jacque4 ,by ,,charles ,,blanc4 ,in the ,gazette des ,beaux ,arts1 vol4 ix4 p4 #aic et seq4 ,les ,johannot1 par ,m4 ,,ch4 ,,lenormant4 ,paris 7#aheh74 ,in-#h4 7,from ,michaud's ,biographie universelle47 99 ,essay on ,meryon1 and a ,catalogue of his ,works1 by ,,frederic ,,wedmore4 ,london1 ,thibaudeau1 #ahgi4 7,announced as about to be published47 ,see also ,meryon and ,meryon's ,paris1 by ,f4 ,,wedmore1 in the ,nineteenth ,century1 for ,may1 #ahgh4 99 ,p4 ,burty's ,catalogue of the ,etchings of ,meryon1 revised from the ,catalogue in the ,gazette des ,beaux ,arts1 and translated by ,mr4 ,m4 ,b4 ,,huish1 is announced to be published by the ,london ,fine-,art ,society4 ,me4 ,o',connell1 ,meissonier1 ,millet1 ,meryon1 ,seymour ,haden4 ,articles on these etchers by ,,philippe ,,burty in the ,gazette des ,beaux ,arts4 ,catalogue raisonne des estampes gravees a l'eau-forte par ,,guido ,,reni1 par ,,adam ,,bartsch4 ,vienne1 #agie4 ,in-#h4 ,catalogue raisonne de toutes les estampes qui forment l'oeuvre de ,rembrandt1 444 par ,,adam ,,bartsch4 ,vienne1 #agig4 #b vol4 in-#h4 ,a ,descriptive ,catalogue of the ,prints of ,rembrandt1 by an ,amateur 7,,wilson74 ,london1 #ahcf4 ,in-#h4 ,rembrandt and his ,works1 444 by ,,john ,,burnet4 ,london1 #ahei4 #dto4 ,ill4 ,rembrandt4 ,discours sur sa vie et son genie1 avec un grand nombre de documents historiques1 par le ,dr4 ,p4 ,,scheltema1 traduit par ,a4 ,,willems4 ,revu et annote par ,w4 ,,burger4 ,bruxelles1 #ahei4 ,in-#h4 7,from the ,revue universelle des ,arts47 ,l',o,euvre complet de ,rembrandt1 remarquablement decrit et commente par ,,charles ,,blanc4 ,paris1 #ahei4 #c vol4 in-#h4 99 ,rembrandt ,harmens van ,rijn4 ,ses precurseurs et ses annees d'apprentissage4 ,par ,c4 ,,vosmaer4 ,la ,haye1 ,nijhoff1 #ahfc4 99 ,rembrandt ,harmens van ,rijn4 ,sa vie et ses oeuvres4 ,par ,c4 ,,vosmaer4 ,la ,haye1 ,nijhoff1 #ahfh4 7,a second1 revised edition appeared some years ago47 99 ,the ,etched ,works of ,rembrandt4 ,a ,monograph4 ,by ,,francis ,,seymour ,,haden4 ,with three plates and appendix4 ,london1 ,macmillan1 #ahgi4 ,medium #hvo4 99 ,descriptive ,catalogue of the ,etched ,works of ,rembrandt van ,rhyn4 ,with ,life and ,introduction4 ,by ,c4 ,h4 ,,middleton4 ,royal #hvo4 ,london1 #ahgi4 ,pictorial ,notices2 consisting of a ,memoir of ,sir ,anthony van ,dyck1 with a ,descriptive ,catalogue of the ,etchings executed by him4444 ,by ,,william ,,hookham ,,carpenter4 ,london1 #ahdd4 #dto4 ,portrait4 99 ,the ,works of the ,american ,etchers4 ,in the ,american ,art ,review4 ,,transcriber',s ,,notes3 ,obvious typos and inconsistencies corrected_/standardised3 ,bruxelle to ,bruxelles1 ,nitrid ,acid to ,nitric ,acid1 i4e4 to i4 e41 ,societe des aqua-fortistes to ,societe des ,aqua-fortistes 7as elsewhere in text71 ,epreuves to ,epreuves 7as elsewhere in text71 cardboard to card-board1 overbitten and over bitten to over-bitten1 travelling board to travelling-board 7as elsewhere in text74 ,other inconsistencies generally left as in original3 ,zinc_/zinc v ,zink_/zink1 facsimile v fac-simile1 nowadays v now-a-days1 ,india-rubber v india-rubber1 ,rembrandt van ,rhyn v ,rembrandt van ,rijn4 ,the oe-ligature 7as in oeuvre7 is represented as oe4 ,passages in italics are surrounded by underscores4 ,likewise passages in bold are indicated by bold4 ,the carat character is used to indicate superscripts 7as in ,fig4 #a;a74 ,table of ,contents3 expanded 7compared to original book7 by including all sections in the ,list of ,works4 ,note that the section headed ,my ,dear ,m4 ,lalanne in the text is called ,letter by ,m4 ,charles ,leblanc in the ,table of ,contents4 ,plate ,,ix and page xxiv3 the writing on the plate is not very clear1 but the building is actually called the ,waag1 this has been used in the text4 ,footnotes 7,a1 ,b1 4447 moved to end of paragraph1 endnotes 7notes from the translator1 #a1 #b1 4447 left together in separate chapter1 as in original4