Ottley, William Young: An inquiry into the origin and early history of engraving: upon copper and in wood ; with an account of engravers and their works, from the invention of chalcography by Maso Finiguerra to the time of Marc Antonio Raimondi (Band 1) (London, 1816) [Cicognara, 266A]

98

EARLY WOOD PRINTS.

[CHAP. II.

difficult, or even impossible, to distinguish them from the wood-cuts
of the fifteenth century.

In process of time, the practice gave rise to a more extended
application of the principle of impression:—" After having pro-
" duced the representations of saints," says Heineken, " it was not
" difficult for the artist to engrave historical subjects, and entire
" sets of prints, and to accompany them with explanations of their
ft meaning, engraved in the same manner on wood; whether for
" the instruction of youth, or for the purpose of exciting devotion.
" And thus," says he, " originated our first books printed from
" engraved wooden blocks."* But of these I shall speak in the
next chapter.

* " Id6e G6n6rale," p. 251.