M E Z 



196 



M E Z 



Mexico, 

 Msizotin. 

 to. 



publie authorities to quiet these agitations, particularly 

 the prohibition of printing presses, even in towns of 

 40,000 or 50,000 inhabitants, and the proscribing of 

 such works as those of Robertson, Montesquieu, &c. ; 

 the infliction of torture on several persons in New Gre- 

 nada, suspected of revolutionary plans, and other simi- 

 lar instances of distrustful policy, served only to increase 

 the discontents of the colonists. Nothing was done to 

 forward their just demands, to improve the obvious 

 defective institutions of the country, and to reform the 

 most glaring evils of the colonial system ; and in 1796 

 a great revolutionary commotion broke out in the pro- 

 vince of Venezuela, which had nearly annihilated, in 

 that quarter, the Spanish authority. The individual 

 liberty which the colonists naturally enjoy, by their 

 diffusion over a vast extent of country, and the 

 mutual hatred of the different casts, especially the 

 dread entertained of the blacks and Indians by the 

 whole body of the whites, have prevented the po- 

 pular discontents from spreading more generally in the 

 other provinces. The events, particularly, which took 

 place in St. Domingo have contributed greatly to pre- 

 serve tranquillity in the Spanish colonies on the conti- 

 nent. That tranquillity, however, has at length suffer- 

 ed an almost universal interruption, and insurrection 

 has, for several years, prevailed in every quarter of 

 Spanish America. The progress of these revolutionary 

 movements is still involved in too much uncertainty to 

 afford any materials for a detailed account in this place, 

 and would indeed far exceed the limits of the present 

 article. There is less known, in this respect, of the 

 events which have taken place in Mexico, than of any 

 other Spanish settlement. Its secluded situation, the 

 nature of its coasts, and its want of sea-ports, prevent 

 any information from being received from the interior, 

 except what the Spanish authorities may communicate. 

 According to their accounts, all disturbances ceased in 

 1807 ; but various circumstances, particularly an inter- 

 cepted letter from the Bishop of Valladolid, afford rea- 

 son to believe that the country is full of insurgents, 

 and that they are daily becoming better provided 

 with the means of resistance. See Robertson's His- 

 tory of America, and Humboldt's Political Esuny on 

 New Spain, (q.) 



MEZZOTINTO, is a kind of engraving which re- 

 sembles drawing in China ink. Instead of the tedious 

 and laborious operations of the graver, in highly finished 

 plates, it is executed by a more simple and expeditious 

 process in the following manner : The plate, with a 

 piece of flannel under it, is to be laid on the table, and 

 the grounding tool held perpendicularly in the hand*. 

 While leaning moderately on it, the hand must be kept 

 rocking in a right line from end to end, until the plate 

 be wholly covered in one direction. Next let the 

 strokes be crossed from side to side, and afterwards 

 from corner to corner, working the tool each time over 

 the whole plate in every direction, somewhat like the 

 points of a compass ; at the same time taking all pos- 

 sible care not to cut in one direction twice in a place. 

 Thus the surface is covered completely with lines, 

 and would produce a black impression if printed. Next, 

 the designed effect is to be given by removing such 

 parts of the surface as are necessary for light or sun- 

 shine. After the ground has been laid, the scrapings of 

 black chalk are to be rubbed over the plate with a rag, 

 or it may be smoked with candles The drawing to be 

 engraved is now to be traced on the plate, after having 

 rubbed the black with red chalk dust. The lights and 



shades are to be produced by marking the outlines with Mezzotl- 

 a blunt needle, and scraping off the lights in every to - 

 part of the plate as clean and smooth as possible, in ^"Y"~ 

 proportion to the strength of the lights in the drawing, 

 observing to preserve the outlines. Then the extreme 

 light parts, such as the tip of the nose, the forehead, or 

 lines, are to be softened or rubbed down with the bur- 

 nisher. When an impression from the plate is dry, 

 it should be touched with white chalk, where it ought 

 to be light, and with black where darker ; and the plate 

 being retouched, the same course must be followed for 

 the lights; and employing a small grounding tool for 

 bringing the shades to a proper consistence. It is ne- 

 cessary to take successive proofs until the requisite qua- 

 lity be obtained. 



By another method, the outlines of the object to be 

 represented are etched, as also the folds in drapery, 

 making the breadth of the shadows by dots, which must 

 be bit to a proper depth by aquafortis. The ground 

 used in etching is taken off, and the mezzotinto ground 

 being laid, the scraping proceeds as before. Imison, 

 Element* of Science and A>t, vol ii. p. 360. 



Instead of following the manual operations of laying 

 the ground of a mezzotinto engraving, Mr. Dossie lias 

 suggested that it may be attained with greater ease and 

 accuracy by some mechanical means, and recommends 

 the invention of a machine for that purpose. Vol. 

 ii. p. 174. In his work are copiously dt-tailed the 

 whole process of engraving in mezzotinto, its uses and 

 effects It is there remarked, that "the principles on 

 which the fitness or nnfitness of subjects of this kind of 

 engraving are tbunded,are of twokinds; the one respect- 

 ing light i'.nd shade, the other the nature of the design 

 with regard to the outline. Such pieces as contain large 

 and clear masses of light do not succeed at all; but where, 

 on the contrary, there is a large proportion of very 

 dark parts, as in the representation of night scenes, or 

 a large proportion of brown shades, as in the pictures 

 of Rembrandt, Benedette, and Teniers, in some instan- 

 ces the best effect is produced, and with the least labour. 

 Such pieces likewise as are of a simple composition, and, 

 do not require great force and variety of expression in 

 passion and character are suitable. But where great 

 spirit is required to give merit, this manner of engrav- 

 ing fails, as it does not admit of those sharp and deli- 

 cate strokes and touches which are the means of that 

 expression." It thence appears, that mezzotinto en- 

 graving is best adapted to objects of considerable size. 

 Nevertheless some persons, such as Mr. Gilpin, incline 

 to bestow greater qualities on it than it seems to de- 

 serve. It appears, indeed, that artists in general are 

 disposed to elevate engraving to a higher rank than be- 

 longs to it. They wisli it to be considered an original, 

 not an imitative art. But what more is the most refin- 

 ed painting than mere imitation ? It is either the de- 

 scription of real, or the representation of imaginary 

 subjects. Engraving apparently holds a second place. 



Facility of execution has been one principal means 

 of diffusing mezzotinto engravings, while novelty has 

 proved their recommendation. It appears, however, 

 that what is susceptible of the greatest delicacy must 

 be viewed as the most perfect Mezzotinto has been 

 more successfully cultivated in England than elsewhere, 

 whence it is called on the continent the black or Eng- 

 lish style. 



Evelyn ascribes the invention of this manner of en- 

 graving to Prince Rupert, Count Palatine of the Rhine, 

 by whom he was acquainted with the method of exe- 



* The grounding tool is like * steel chisel, the edge ef which has a semicircular form, and is cut into very fine teeth, 

 wooden handle, 



It is fixed j:i!o. 



