"Come up and
see my etchings.”
What does it
all mean?
For those of you that are starting
to collect Dicksee or other prints, the following explains some of the terms
used, in my catalogue and by dealers and auctioneers.
Engraving.
This is the earliest form of producing a print and started as early as the
15th century. A copper or steel plate is engraved with a tool
called a graver or burrin. Ink is held in the engraved lines and transferred
to paper using a press.
Etching
The metal plate is covered with a wax/varnish mixture and incised with an
etcher’s needle. The plate is then put into an acid bath and the acid etches
the design into the plate.
Drypoint etching
The plate is not covered with wax or varnish but the engraver works directly
with his needle on to the copper plate. This can give far clearer line
drawings than the standard etching. See HD10704 “On the Moors”, a
magnificent Deerhound for an example. This is his own Deerhound, “Sir
Brian”, and is not, repeat not an Irish Wolfhound.
Mezzotint
This is produced the opposite way from the other forms and the engraver
starts with a roughened copper plate, which would print black. Areas are
then smoothed out by the engraver. The end result of this extremely time
consuming process usually has a rich texture, which was much used for
portraits in the 19th century, but dates back to the 16th.
HD50102 A Polar Night is a mezzotint.
Mixed
This combines more than one method of the above. The most common is the use
of a mezzotint base to get the tone and texture and etching to give clarity
of line.
Photogravure
This involves a photographic positive being
transferred to a metal plate, using light sensitive chemicals and acid to
etch the plate.
Other terms used
“Original”
A work made as an engraving or etching by an artist working in this medium
“After”
A copy of the work of another artist, by the engraver or etcher. Dicksee
etched several works by his cousin Sir Frank Dicksee and also from the work
of other artists including Millais, Simon Vedder and Rosa Bonheur.
“Proof”
A trial impression made before the main edition.
“Artist’s Proof”
These are prints made before the main edition and are usually signed by the
artist. Sometimes these are numbered as is the Head of the Cocker Spaniel
HD10501, which was limited to 200 signed artist’s proofs. This is the only
Dicksee, as far as I am aware that has the number of the print, over the
total run. Others such as HD30301, a Bengal Tiger, are limited in numbers,
100 artist’s proofs only, in this case, but not necessarily individually
numbered.
“Proof before letters”
An artist’s proof made before the print issuer, such as Frost and Reed, put
on the title and edition details.
“Lettered proof”
A proof, ie prior to main production print, but with the title and publisher
information
“Remarqued proof”
A remarqued proof has a small design or engraving in the margins of the
print. This occurs in several Dicksees. An example is HD50105, In the Silent
North, which has a remarque of a sled with huskies in the bottom margin.
Why the state matters.
Every metal plate deteriorates and
therefore the earlier the print is in the run, the cleaner and crisper the
picture is. For this reason artist’s proofs before letters are more valuable
than lettered proofs, because they are better and closer to the original
work of the artist. In addition, they are usually on a better and more
expensive surface such as vellum or Japanese paper. Later editions tend to
be on top quality art paper such as Creswick, but this is not as desirable
as vellum or Japanese.
The deterioration of the plates is
why later re-strikes will never look as good as the “original prints”
Return to Catalogue
Catalogue
Mike
and Misha Herwin 