DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.1311#0191
OF THE WORLD'S INDUSTRY. 159
we had a collection of "stereochromic" pictures, executed upon wood covered with
raortar, " a process intended as a substitute for the (prohibited) fresco-painting." Sir
William Newton was allowed wall-room for several pictures upon ivory, representing
"The Homage at the Coronation," " The Marriage of her Majesty/' the " Christening of
the Prince of Wales," &c.; but their reception in his case may, perhaps, be explained by
the announcement that the ivory in these works was "joined together by a process of his
own invention." Mr. Haslem and Mr. Bone had some enamel pictures in gold—many
of them royal portraits, others copies from old masters; and Mr. Essex showed "an
extensive collection of enamel paintings/' copies from works in royal and noble collections,
In short, whilst High Art was rigorously excluded, Little Art was greatly favoured. As
to the prohibition of engravings, it was impossible to carry it out; and accordingly we
found whole shop-loads of them in various styles in different parts of the building, some
framed, others loose. In addition, we were startled, here and there, with some wonderful
imitations of engravings, and pen and ink drawings, in silk, in human hair, in crape, &c.:
which, as soon as the first impulse of curiosity was over, only left upon the mind of the
spectator a feeling of disappointment and irritation.
Whilst upon the subject of simulative processes, we may refer to some "poker
drawings," upon wood, by the Rev. W, C. Calvert, and some specimens of the art of
" xulopyrography," or charred wood engraving, exhibited by Lieutenant C. Marshall and
Mr. J. T. Mitchell, and which were entitled to rank in a higher category than the con-
trivances named at the close of the preceding paragraph. The latter productions were
somewhat similar in appearance to old sepia drawings, and in their process of working had
something in common with poker drawings. The difference between charred wood
carvings, or engravings, and the said " poker drawings" was, that the former were cut
from the surface of hard and white wood, which had been previously completely charred
over, the lights and shadows being effected by scraping gradually away the black surface to
the necessary depth, according to the shade required, going below where the burning
extends for the absolute lights: whereas "poker drawings" are burnt on the surface of
white wood, the lights being left and the shades burnt in. One of Mr. Mitchell's speci-
mens was taken from a rare mezzotinto engraving by Prince Rupert, who, by the way, was
long supposed to have been the inventor of the last-named process, though of this there is
some doubt, it being probable that he learnt the art from Colonel Louis Von Siegan. The
subject was "The Execution of St. John the Baptist," after Spagnoletti. The other
specimen by this exhibitor was taken from IT win's "Chapeau de Brigand" (in the Vernon
collection. Lieutenant Marshall exhibited, we think, three or more of his works in this line,
the most important of which was after Raffaelle's cartoon of " St. Paul Preaching."
A small picture ("the Origin of the Quarrel of the Guelphs and the Ghibellines"),
by F. R. Pickersgill, A.R.A., was also admitted, not as a specimen of art, but of Rodney's
silica colours, in which it was painted. Besides this, we had one or two other specimens
of a like kind, and exhibited for a like purpose; as, for instance, two of Concannon's new
method of aerial tinting by calcined colours, and some designs in the crayons and chalks
of some other manufacturer, whose name we have forgotten. Beneath these, and some
other gaudier displays of colours, rainbow or prism fashion, were ranged the brushes,
palettes, and other implements necessary for using them; and so complete and instructive
was this exposition of art requirements considered by Mr. Rowney, one of the exhibitors,
that he placed a little plaster group, entitled " Letting the Cat out of the Bag/' in the
midst of his compartment, as much as to say that the mysteries of the craft existed no
longer, and that amateurs might all be artists, if they pleased to lay in a stock of the
necessary materials. In Mr. Ackermann's department we were agreeably struck with a
very elegant colour-box, made of papier macho.
we had a collection of "stereochromic" pictures, executed upon wood covered with
raortar, " a process intended as a substitute for the (prohibited) fresco-painting." Sir
William Newton was allowed wall-room for several pictures upon ivory, representing
"The Homage at the Coronation," " The Marriage of her Majesty/' the " Christening of
the Prince of Wales," &c.; but their reception in his case may, perhaps, be explained by
the announcement that the ivory in these works was "joined together by a process of his
own invention." Mr. Haslem and Mr. Bone had some enamel pictures in gold—many
of them royal portraits, others copies from old masters; and Mr. Essex showed "an
extensive collection of enamel paintings/' copies from works in royal and noble collections,
In short, whilst High Art was rigorously excluded, Little Art was greatly favoured. As
to the prohibition of engravings, it was impossible to carry it out; and accordingly we
found whole shop-loads of them in various styles in different parts of the building, some
framed, others loose. In addition, we were startled, here and there, with some wonderful
imitations of engravings, and pen and ink drawings, in silk, in human hair, in crape, &c.:
which, as soon as the first impulse of curiosity was over, only left upon the mind of the
spectator a feeling of disappointment and irritation.
Whilst upon the subject of simulative processes, we may refer to some "poker
drawings," upon wood, by the Rev. W, C. Calvert, and some specimens of the art of
" xulopyrography," or charred wood engraving, exhibited by Lieutenant C. Marshall and
Mr. J. T. Mitchell, and which were entitled to rank in a higher category than the con-
trivances named at the close of the preceding paragraph. The latter productions were
somewhat similar in appearance to old sepia drawings, and in their process of working had
something in common with poker drawings. The difference between charred wood
carvings, or engravings, and the said " poker drawings" was, that the former were cut
from the surface of hard and white wood, which had been previously completely charred
over, the lights and shadows being effected by scraping gradually away the black surface to
the necessary depth, according to the shade required, going below where the burning
extends for the absolute lights: whereas "poker drawings" are burnt on the surface of
white wood, the lights being left and the shades burnt in. One of Mr. Mitchell's speci-
mens was taken from a rare mezzotinto engraving by Prince Rupert, who, by the way, was
long supposed to have been the inventor of the last-named process, though of this there is
some doubt, it being probable that he learnt the art from Colonel Louis Von Siegan. The
subject was "The Execution of St. John the Baptist," after Spagnoletti. The other
specimen by this exhibitor was taken from IT win's "Chapeau de Brigand" (in the Vernon
collection. Lieutenant Marshall exhibited, we think, three or more of his works in this line,
the most important of which was after Raffaelle's cartoon of " St. Paul Preaching."
A small picture ("the Origin of the Quarrel of the Guelphs and the Ghibellines"),
by F. R. Pickersgill, A.R.A., was also admitted, not as a specimen of art, but of Rodney's
silica colours, in which it was painted. Besides this, we had one or two other specimens
of a like kind, and exhibited for a like purpose; as, for instance, two of Concannon's new
method of aerial tinting by calcined colours, and some designs in the crayons and chalks
of some other manufacturer, whose name we have forgotten. Beneath these, and some
other gaudier displays of colours, rainbow or prism fashion, were ranged the brushes,
palettes, and other implements necessary for using them; and so complete and instructive
was this exposition of art requirements considered by Mr. Rowney, one of the exhibitors,
that he placed a little plaster group, entitled " Letting the Cat out of the Bag/' in the
midst of his compartment, as much as to say that the mysteries of the craft existed no
longer, and that amateurs might all be artists, if they pleased to lay in a stock of the
necessary materials. In Mr. Ackermann's department we were agreeably struck with a
very elegant colour-box, made of papier macho.