Studio: international art (29.1903)

Allan OsterlincTs Coloured Etchings

(Gottenburg Gallery), and Gitanas (Salon of graduated impressions {morsures) the grains placed

1903). on the metal." In order to dust the plate one

Is not he the true artist who strives without must cover the copper with fine resin powder,

ceasing to renew himself ? It was not enough for which adheres to the metal by reason of its

Osterlind to be the painter we know, the sympa- warmth. This result is obtained by scattering a

thetic poet of mstic life, the keen observer (at fairly large quantity of pulverised resin in a box,

times) of the Parisienne ; no, he must needs which should be as lofty as possible and hermetically

throw himself heart and soul into etching, and set sealed. But first, by vigorous use of the bellows,

to work engraving Boucher's marvellous picture in one must have dispersed the heaps of resin collected

the Stockholm Gallery, or turning out some of the at the bottom of the box, until the rising particles

delicate, graceful plates now reproduced in these shall have filled the receptacle as it were with

pages. a thick smoke. Then through a narrow opening

It may not be inappropriate here to say a word in the box one introduces the metal plate, which

concerning Osterlind's process of etching. M. will soon be enveloped in a sort of whitish veil by

Pierrefort himself has given a very good definition the falling resin dust. Then the plate is with-

of engraving in colour : " It is," says he, " a drawn, and the next thing is to fix the dust. To

process which, eliminating almost entirely the accomplish that the engraver gently heats the

work of the needle and the graver, calls for its reverse of the plate with a flame, and as the metal

effects solely on the aqua-fortis, which, thanks to grows warm the resin powder slowly melts upon it.

the co operation of the varnish, models with When the metal is cold again the resin adheres

and forms part and parcel
of the plate.

PKJPUPWBPPJ^^^-- 7S Such is the action of

^jmammmai^mmmmi^U^MSKt the " eating-in" every

. .jffliHpBHPBB^*M artist has his own par-

J gl|^^j|jHp^ ticular process in connec-

■nAiiMp^ tion therewith, and I do

IT jHF - •' A' ■

not pretend now to enter

-'•v'- ' ' .....„ij.....J' " into all the secrets of en-

rSKSpv* B } • J >'S\ ~%L& ('r<t'j !'■ \) \U graving. Suffice it to say

;\;•■: that by means of multiple

coverings obtained from
the varnish, and of succes-

;'■ ' Hp "'^isP«S&nra£8iS s'Vc baths in the acid, the

* J-' <'"• Wk ^^^^m^'W^mHKM figures will take form of
%tUP%} 'iS themselves, with the aid

'" iP*; .- ■ ;L; ':. ■'" ■•: !^«K9 01 the brush. The art

IPnHBfciii : iiilfrjrfjr IfeinSi of engraving is not to be

flflHKp* JBbV . ™~ ^ ,>\.,f .' ^fej^-^jW limited to a knowledge

• '-^SK^^tBewMS^a^ Mfk^r^liT*'.' SBH'fflH °f how, by means ot

'^WWUBK/KBHS^-^m^SX- W,:J£&M^''**9b*'-* ^^iSU^SmMom^mSwi graduated morsures, to pass
$fflBfimHBkf Vr\ 1%|^^^^*^*:v • ^k^BJ I from white to black; it is

I ,{_utegit~^^^'~ ' necessary also to foresee

what colour or what tint
/|b»^Z3S| such and such a morsure

r'-i^aS ~ wS&S^k^k&Sti&Bm will produce. For in-

stance, a vermilion placed
on a portion of the sur-
face, and too long kept in
the acid, and consequently
bitten too deep, would

^^^^■^^^^^^^Hi^^^^^^^^^^^^^"' come out a dusky red on

'a dance" from the coloured etching by a. osterlind tne print.

(By permission of M. Pierrefort, Paris.) The impression of an

279