Ragraving. 
—\— 
@rigin of 
prints and 
beoks. 
First book 
printed 
about 1450. 
EB 
en wood. 
Albert Da- 
ren. 
44 
is likewise an edition of this work, with plates ‘some- 
what different, with the inscriptions translated into the 
German . There exist copies of other 
similar works, such as Historia, seu identia Virgini 
Marie ex Cantico Canticorum, and Historia’ 
Marie Virginis, ez 
per ulustrata, led to books of text, illus- 
with i and still ved on one block, 
and in all robability the work of the brief maler, but 
waldind onsy.aninunisiaent ; but in some 
two and two, 
in hearers 7 anlew asertanawe 
both of prints Ss. t though practised 
this art for a time, the im nt tp em 
their invention might be extended did not occur to 
them, till, about the yas’ do ye of Stras- 
burg, a man of a bol ive disposition, see- 
ing these works, imagined, that, by cutting each letter 
separately, he would be able to print whatever he chose ; 
in this, however, he was not successful, till, after incre- 
dible labour and ce, in conjunction with Faust, 
he found means to form them of metal, with punches 
and matrices, and produced, about the year 1450, ait 
edition of the Bible, the first book ever printed. with 
moveable types, which, for beauty of execution, even 
at the t advanced state of the art, excites the won- 
ma astonishment of all acho -hersioa 
he art of engraving on w degrees to 
a re ag Sey William Pluydenwurff and 
Michael Wolgemuth are the first engravers on wood, 
whose names are preserved. They executed conjunct- 
ly, the plates of the Nuremburg Chronicle, which was 
blished in folio in the year 1493. _They consist of 
of various sorts, views of towns, &c.; they are 
ent with much boldness and spirit ; and the characters 
of the heads are often well delineated. _ They are, how- 
ever, marked with all the stiffness and inaccuracy of i 
drawing, which characterise the works of the German 
artists of that time. 
In the works of the brief malers we see nothing ‘but 
rude outlines, in the lowest style of art, (if it be at all 
entitled to the appellation, ) wifhout any attempt at cor- 
rectness of drawing, expression, or effect. The artists 
who followed, who seem to have been numerous, at- 
feenpting to give their works a little more finish, by in- 
ucing shadow, and paying some attention to draw- 
ing, brought the art nearer to perfection than it had 
yet been ; and the completion of it was ultimately effect- 
ed by the genius of Albert Durer, who, as far as regards 
the executive part of it, brought it to a perfection which 
has hardly been equalled by any succeeding artist. 
It does nct appear that Playdenwurff ever engraved 
on copper ; but as at this time, with the exception of 
him, it was the practice of the engravers to exercise 
both arts, we defer the few criticisms we mean to offer 
on their works, till we come to the history of o 
plate engraving ; and accordingly, in bringing it down 
to our own times, we shall e occasional notice of 
those who have distinguished themselves in engraving 
on wood, In concluding this part of the subject, we 
remark, that it has » Bis practised at different pe- 
Is, both by painters and engravers, in every country 
w the fine arts have been cultivated since their re- 
vival, principally in those imitations of drawings called 
chiar’ oscuros, (of which we shall presently take no- 
tice,) as well as in the engraving vignettes, decorations 
for as and mathematical di s; for these pur- 
poses it is well calculated, as the block can be inserted 
elistis et Patribus excerpla et - 
ngravi method of i g In chia 
ight drawings ity gumns of dilewens Lateran cemmalll oe 
pie —_ ay, ae ga invention of this 
art to Ugo da Carpi, a painter and engraver, born 
Rome about the year 1486; but as we have many 
cievems af cldaciedanen: by: tbaatinsainnaiaedits 
date much anterior to the time assigned by the Italians 
of its invention by Ugo da i, particularly by Mair, 
eit ig ey 1500, we cannot 
dated 1499, and one 
thods ed by the German artists differed materi- 
ally from hse ine 
deep shadows by engraving them on copper, and then 
the outline and dark shadows, another for, the li 
shadowy ants sane Ses the middle tint. 
number was geverslh iy. 
cess, consisting of four 
of which is given , 
i dat the 154th page of the 
and execution, 
prove | wenn, of the art at a much earlier peri: 
The artist whose name we are acquainted with, is Marty 
Martin Schoen, a painter, engraver, and goldsmith, He Scheea, 
in the year 1420, and died at Col- 
executed between the years 
the necessary 
which he lived, and the disadvan he un- 
der, he must be aloras io A man of strong mind and 
fertile imagination ; though his figures have.all the mea- 
gre taste and bad seaeing, of that time, his heads are 
well conceived, and the whole. is executed with much 
mechanical skill. The taste of his 
fancy of that branch of the art; yet the of his ex- 
ecution displays a more advanced state in the m i 
cal part of the art of engraving, He is said to have been 
ei siete EG yt ci Ua 
well authenticated work;), according to of Fran; 
cis Stoss, to whose style that of Schoen bears a great re- 
§ 
ign shewsthein- 
