DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.28460#0044
28
Early German ancl Flemish Woodeuts.
precisely in tlie form in which it was intended to appear in the
impression, only, of course, in reverse. In either case the woodcntter
had nothing to do with the design, once it was finished, except to
keep it intact, so cntting away the intermediate spaces as to keep
the lines sharp and clean. The test of the good craftsman was his
self-effacement. Anything in the knife-work which drew attention to
itself, a jagged line, a white gap occasioned by a breakage where the
line was too far under-cut, or excessive angularity of outline, was a
flaw which detracted from the success of the facsimile, and did less
than justice to the draughtsman. The mechanic might he' called an
artist himself when he rose so completely to the height of the task set
before him, and sliovved so perfect an appreciation of the subtle
qualities of line, as Liitzelburger and Andrea in the masterpieces
which they cut from the designs of Holbein and Durer. But in these
masterpieces there was nothing really new, no change in technique,
only the perfection which came with practice. Liitzelburger and
Andrea did tlie same thing with the same tools as the roughest wood-
cutter of the xv century, hut they did it better. The stimulus to
improvement came from the designers. It was Diirer, hefore all
others, who knew to a nicety the utmost capabilities of cutting on the
wood, and drew his design accordingly with a view to hringing out
the best qualities of a woodcut.1 That is why in the history of early
wood-engraving the names of the draughtsmen fill so mucli more
space than those of the woodcutters: we know little of the latter,
seldom so mucli as their names ; they were rightly treated in their own
day, and are rightly treated still, except by practical wood-engravers,
as mere subordinates to the designers whose work they reproduced.
in methocTs— Modern wood-engraving may still have the same task to perform,
the renderingin facsimile of the line as drawn. Thenames of Dalziel
and Swain are specially associated with this line-work. But the
drawing on the block neecl not be a pen-and-ink drawing in line; it
may be a washed drawing, even a water-colour, in whicli the value of
each tint has to be expressed in black and white by the engraver; if
the latter is to reproduce a picture or a subject taken straight from
nature lie will use a photograph transferred to the block. In all
1 Dr. R. Kautzsck, on the other hand (“ Einleitende Erorterungen,” pp. 84-86),
attributes to the technique of wood-engraving a very strong reaction on the techniquc
of drawino-. He goes so far as to attribute the complete revolution which took place
between 1400 and 1450 iu the manuer of drawing, the cliange from the round to the
angular, not to the iniiuence of tke Elemish school of painting, but to the rise of
wood-engraving. Why, he asks, shoulcl a draughtsman draw a nose witli a sharp angle,
and display sucli a preference for sharply cleft rocks and lealiess trees, if he had not
learnt from woodcuts ? In wood-engraving all round lines cause difficulties, everytliing
straight and angular is natural; in painting it is just tho revorse.
Early German ancl Flemish Woodeuts.
precisely in tlie form in which it was intended to appear in the
impression, only, of course, in reverse. In either case the woodcntter
had nothing to do with the design, once it was finished, except to
keep it intact, so cntting away the intermediate spaces as to keep
the lines sharp and clean. The test of the good craftsman was his
self-effacement. Anything in the knife-work which drew attention to
itself, a jagged line, a white gap occasioned by a breakage where the
line was too far under-cut, or excessive angularity of outline, was a
flaw which detracted from the success of the facsimile, and did less
than justice to the draughtsman. The mechanic might he' called an
artist himself when he rose so completely to the height of the task set
before him, and sliovved so perfect an appreciation of the subtle
qualities of line, as Liitzelburger and Andrea in the masterpieces
which they cut from the designs of Holbein and Durer. But in these
masterpieces there was nothing really new, no change in technique,
only the perfection which came with practice. Liitzelburger and
Andrea did tlie same thing with the same tools as the roughest wood-
cutter of the xv century, hut they did it better. The stimulus to
improvement came from the designers. It was Diirer, hefore all
others, who knew to a nicety the utmost capabilities of cutting on the
wood, and drew his design accordingly with a view to hringing out
the best qualities of a woodcut.1 That is why in the history of early
wood-engraving the names of the draughtsmen fill so mucli more
space than those of the woodcutters: we know little of the latter,
seldom so mucli as their names ; they were rightly treated in their own
day, and are rightly treated still, except by practical wood-engravers,
as mere subordinates to the designers whose work they reproduced.
in methocTs— Modern wood-engraving may still have the same task to perform,
the renderingin facsimile of the line as drawn. Thenames of Dalziel
and Swain are specially associated with this line-work. But the
drawing on the block neecl not be a pen-and-ink drawing in line; it
may be a washed drawing, even a water-colour, in whicli the value of
each tint has to be expressed in black and white by the engraver; if
the latter is to reproduce a picture or a subject taken straight from
nature lie will use a photograph transferred to the block. In all
1 Dr. R. Kautzsck, on the other hand (“ Einleitende Erorterungen,” pp. 84-86),
attributes to the technique of wood-engraving a very strong reaction on the techniquc
of drawino-. He goes so far as to attribute the complete revolution which took place
between 1400 and 1450 iu the manuer of drawing, the cliange from the round to the
angular, not to the iniiuence of tke Elemish school of painting, but to the rise of
wood-engraving. Why, he asks, shoulcl a draughtsman draw a nose witli a sharp angle,
and display sucli a preference for sharply cleft rocks and lealiess trees, if he had not
learnt from woodcuts ? In wood-engraving all round lines cause difficulties, everytliing
straight and angular is natural; in painting it is just tho revorse.