DOI issue:
No. 35 (February, 1896)
DOI article:A new black and white art
DOI Page / Citation link:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.17296#0048
A New Black and White Art
strongly appreciated by every one who has given some means by which repetition of the original
much consideration to the modern method of painting would be made possible,
reproducing works of art. Indeed, it is not going About four years ago he took up the idea as a
too far to. sg.y that had Professor Herkomer's subject for serious consideration, and set to work
invention no other exceptional qualities, this systematically to put his ideas into shape. He
one merit would more than justify all the labour made a series of experiments, the result of which he
and thought he has bestowed upon the process, patented. For the next two years, however, he did
and would put it at once ahead of its competi- nothing with the invention ; it lay idle and ap-
tors. parently neglected. At the end of that time he
The history of the invention is distinctly began a fresh course of experiments in the same
interesting. It was in 1885, during his visit to connection, and soon found his way to making so
America, that the first germ of the idea from large a number of improvements upon and altera-
which he has since gathered so excellent a harvest tions in his original idea that a second patent be-
took root in the Professor's fertile mind. An came necessary. When this was secured, the inven-
American artist fascinated him with a form of tion in its present form was complete and fit to set
work which was at the
time a novelty to him.
This was the producing
of what are known as
" monotypes," or the
painting, with printer's
ink on a metal plate, of
pictures which are after-
wards, without being en-
graved, run through a
printing-press and so
transferred to paper. Of
course by such a device,
which has the justifica-
tion of antiquity for its
practice, only one im-
pression of the picture is
possible, and the work
on the plate after its
passage through the press
ceases to exist. Profes-
sor Herkomer was so
attracted by the peculiar
qualities of the prints
obtained in this manner
that he occupied him-
self frequently with the
method and experi-
mented largely with its
capabilities. In all his
experiments, however, he
was met with the trouble
that his one print was all
that the plate, so treated,
would give him; and
this fact, which seemed
to him a matter for
regret, led him to make
an effort to discover " a study from a plate-painting by prof h. herkomer, r.a.
35
strongly appreciated by every one who has given some means by which repetition of the original
much consideration to the modern method of painting would be made possible,
reproducing works of art. Indeed, it is not going About four years ago he took up the idea as a
too far to. sg.y that had Professor Herkomer's subject for serious consideration, and set to work
invention no other exceptional qualities, this systematically to put his ideas into shape. He
one merit would more than justify all the labour made a series of experiments, the result of which he
and thought he has bestowed upon the process, patented. For the next two years, however, he did
and would put it at once ahead of its competi- nothing with the invention ; it lay idle and ap-
tors. parently neglected. At the end of that time he
The history of the invention is distinctly began a fresh course of experiments in the same
interesting. It was in 1885, during his visit to connection, and soon found his way to making so
America, that the first germ of the idea from large a number of improvements upon and altera-
which he has since gathered so excellent a harvest tions in his original idea that a second patent be-
took root in the Professor's fertile mind. An came necessary. When this was secured, the inven-
American artist fascinated him with a form of tion in its present form was complete and fit to set
work which was at the
time a novelty to him.
This was the producing
of what are known as
" monotypes," or the
painting, with printer's
ink on a metal plate, of
pictures which are after-
wards, without being en-
graved, run through a
printing-press and so
transferred to paper. Of
course by such a device,
which has the justifica-
tion of antiquity for its
practice, only one im-
pression of the picture is
possible, and the work
on the plate after its
passage through the press
ceases to exist. Profes-
sor Herkomer was so
attracted by the peculiar
qualities of the prints
obtained in this manner
that he occupied him-
self frequently with the
method and experi-
mented largely with its
capabilities. In all his
experiments, however, he
was met with the trouble
that his one print was all
that the plate, so treated,
would give him; and
this fact, which seemed
to him a matter for
regret, led him to make
an effort to discover " a study from a plate-painting by prof h. herkomer, r.a.
35