Charm of Etchings

Sun (Auckland), Volume III, Issue 628, 3 April 1929, Page 7

Charm of Etchings

(By

“PENATES”)

DIFFERENT FORMS OF ART Displayed to Advantage AS decorations for the home, good etchings are immeasurably superior to indifferent oil and water-colour paintings, and not the least of their attractions is that they are extremely moderate in price—of course, rare prints by the great masters of etchings, which come up at the sale-rooms and are disposed of at inflated prices, are only within the reach of the wealthy collector, but good examples by wellknown artists can be bought for as little as a guinea, and if discrimination be used in their selection, there is a very good chance of ultimate appreciation in value.

The various forms of the engraver s art are apt to be confusing to the novice. The line etching is executed on a copper or zinc plate, the wort being etched in with acid. The’ resulting print is remarkable for its cleanness of line. In contrast to this is the drypoint, which, as its name implies, is done without any acid whatever; the lines being scratched with a diamond point, which raises a ridge or burr on the plate, and which gives a soft, velvety tone to the finished proof. ETCHING IN COLOUR Very beautiful effects are obtained by the use of aquatint, a form of etch-

ing in which the tones are obtained not by lines, but by masses produced by the action of acid on a coating of finely powdered resin. A mixture of aquatint and line is sometimes used in one plate with happy results. Mezzo-tints fall into a somewhat different category, being, strictly speaking, nearer to steel engravings than to etchings. The method is chiefly used for the reproduction in colour of old masters. Etchings in colour are a charming aspect of the etcher’s art, but they are more expensive, and not so numerous as the black-and-white subjects, prob-

COLOURING THOSE FADED CARPETS

Although the modern woman usesidyes to advantage to give a new lease of life to curtains, covers and clothing, it is not generally known that carpets can be just as easily freshened. Here’s how it is done. If the strong sunshine of last summer has faded your carpets, the colours can be revived without much difficulty, by re-touching faded parts with water-soluble dyes. Make the colour solutions very strong, and the vessels holding them should remain in boiling water throughout the process. Use a brush with firm and fairly long bristles, to get right down into the base of the “pile” fibres. Dip the brush in the hot dye and then apply it quickly to the carpet, being careful not to use too much liquid at once, or the colours will run. Although the job will take some time, it is not hard, and will not only save the expense of a new carpet, but will make the old one look like new.

This process is only for ordinarycarpets, for Axminster and other shortfibred rugs. Thd dyeing of thick, long-fibred wool rugs, which are generally mounted on stiff open canvas, should not be attempted at home. The colour cannot be brushed in evenly, and if the whole rug is placed in a dye bath it will probably’ be ruined.

ably on account of the intricacy of the printing, as several colours and the key outline are printed off the one plate. Great restraint is used in the choice of colours, to avoid the “penny plain, tuppence coloured” effect of the cheap reproduction. The printing of etchings is a very complicated process, requiring a certain amount of artistry and delicate handling of the plate. The plate is destroyed after an agreed number of proofs have been printed from it. When buying an etching, always ascertain the size of the edition, which should not exceed 200 proofs if the etching is to be of any value in the future. NARROW BLACK FRAME Plain neutral coloured walls are the best setting, and black-and-white subjects should never be framed in anything but a narrow black moulding about half an Inch in width, and a loose white mount with a margin of four inches. Colour etchings have a little more latitude. They look well in a narrow, not too ornate or highly gilded gold frame, and two or three blue lines ruled around the opening of’the mount helps to set them off. To show etchings off to the best advantage, care must be exercised in the hanging. Never mix them with other pictures, as black-and-white and colour subjects do not harmonise. When arranging a wall, start with a centre, either an upright or an oblong subject, and build out from it, leaving a space say of a foot between each picture. Nothing is more irritating to the eye than a zig-zag line of pictures; therefore, keep the line of hanging as even as possible between the tops of the frames and the picture rail. Such an arrangement takes its place well with the simplicity of modern furnishing, and a room hung with etchings is most restful and satisfying. On many etchings will be found the stamp of the Fine Art Trade Guild. The guild is a body which controls the activities of both publisher and picture dealer, and the presence of its stamp upon an etching is a guarantee that a certain number of copies has been declared, and that number has not been exceeded. After the printing of the agreed edition, the plate is mutilated, and cut into three pieces, of which one is retained by the guild, one by the artist, and one_by the publisher. This method is a safeguard for the purchaser, as he knows when buying an etching so stamped that its ultimate value will not be diminished by unauthorised copies coming into the market. He must also be careful to see that the signature of the artist appears on the print itself, just below the plate mark. A print with no signature, or signed on the mount, is valueless.