.264 Mr. Henry Bradbury [May 9, 



we could be sure that the advance of genuine Art must ever 

 distance that of the spurious — if the success of the forger were to 

 stand in an inverse ratio to the genius of the artist — and if we were 

 to ignore the wonderful skill and ability of the so-called uneducated 

 classes — then indeed this subject would lose a considerable portion 

 of its interest, and its technicality would be deprived of its moral 

 importance. 



Had, however, the Report of the Committee * (though sitting 

 upon this question so far back as 1819) been acted upon, it appears 

 that this state of things could never have arisen ; for they 

 arrived at those sound conclusions which are perfectly applicable at 

 the present day. This Committee was organised in consequence of 

 the rapid increase of convictions for the circulation of Bank of 

 England Note forgeries. Juries began at last to feel a reluctance 

 to visit with capital punishment a crime, for the prevention of which 

 no proper precautions seemed to have been taken. The fact, also, 

 that forged notes had passed undetected the scrutiny of the Bank 

 Inspectors — determined the Council of the Society of Arts to take 

 this step. The point for their especial consideration was to determine 

 the means within the compass of Art, not so much totally to prevent 

 the forgery of Bank of England Notes, (for that was obviously 

 impossible,) as to elicit means of detection by increasing difficulty of 

 imitation. 



This Report was one of great value, and is in these days still 

 fiirther capable of extension, with the aid of a nice judgment, 

 joined to artistic advantages which can now be commanded, to 

 obviate many of the difficulties which originally beset this subject. 



The main feature, then, of the note, the Engraving, and its 

 security, has been proved in practice as well as deposed to by 

 artists of eminence, to depend upon the Vignette. The higher 

 the quality of the artistic impress, therefore, which the vignette 

 carries — the purer and severer the tone conferred upon its execu> 

 tion— the greater the security of the note. This artistic impress 

 might be still further extended to the whole face of the production. 



The great value of the vignette consists in this, that it is the 

 uncounterfeitable seal of the note; — uncounterfeitable — because, 

 though it may be imitated, its individuality cannot. This is 

 illustrated by comparison with a picture ; it always conveys the 

 style of the artist : his composition is known — his colour— his 

 chiaroscuro — which the component parts of all works of Art 

 have— a special individuahty, not to be obhterated from memory 

 and which no copy can possess. 



However similar, there is a difference in the human countenance ; — 

 however similar, there is a difference in handwriting. If then any 



* Report of the CommittcQ of the Society of Arts, on the Mode of Pre- 

 venting the Forgery of Bank Notes, &c. London, 1819. 



