The Library-第21章

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i。e。　the　embellishment　of　children's　books。　　From　the　days　when　Mulready　drew　the　old　〃Butterfly's　Ball〃　and　〃Peacock　at　Home〃　of　our　youth；　to　those　of　the　delightfully　Blakelike　fancies　of　E。　V。　B。；　whose　〃Child's　Play〃　has　recently　been　republished　for　the　delectation　of　a　new　generation　of　admirers；　this　has　always　been　a　popular　and　profitable　employment；　but　of　late　years　it　has　been　raised　to　the　level　of　a　fine　art。　Mr。　H。　S。　Marks；　Mr。　J。　D。　Watson；　Mr。　Walter　Crane；　have　produced　specimens　of　nursery　literature　which；　for　refinement　of　colouring　and　beauty　of　ornament；　cannot　easily　be　surpassed。　　The　equipments　of　the　last　named；　especially；　are　of　a　very　high　order。　　He　began　as　a　landscapist　on　wood；　he　now　chiefly　devotes　himself　to　the　figure；　and　he　seems　to　have　the　decorative　art　at　his　fingers'　ends　as　a　natural　gift。　　Such　work　as　〃King　Luckieboy's　Party〃　was　a　revelation　in　the　way　of　toy　books；　while　the　〃Baby's　Opera〃　and　〃Baby's　Bouquet〃　are　petits　chefs　d'oeuvre；　of　which　the　sagacious　collector　will　do　well　to　secure　copies；　not　for　his　nursery；　but　his　library。　　Nor　can　his　〃Mrs。　Mundi　at　Home〃　be　neglected　by　the　curious　in　quaint　and　graceful　invention。　｛14｝　　Another　bookthe　〃Under　the　Window〃　of　Miss　Kate　Greenawayes　within　the　same　category。　　Since　Stothard；　no　one　has　given　us　such　a　cleareyed；　softfaced；　happyhearted　childhood；　or　so　poetically　〃apprehended〃　the　coy　reticences；　the　simplicities；　and　the　small　solemnities　of　little　people。　　Added　to　this；　the　oldworld　costume　in　which　she　usually　elects　to　clothe　her　characters；　lends　an　arch　piquancy　of　contrast　to　their　innocent　rites　and　ceremonies。　　Her　taste　in　tinting；　too；　is　very　sweet　and　springlike；　and　there　is　a　fresh；　pure　fragrance　about　all　her　pictures　as　of　newgathered　nosegays；　or；　perhaps；　looking　to　the　fashions　that　she　favours；　it　would　be　better　to　say　〃bowpots。〃　　But　the　latest　〃good　genius〃　of　this　branch　of　bookillustrating　is　Mr。　Randolph　Caldecott；　a　designer　assuredly　of　the　very　first　order。　　There　is　a　spontaneity　of　fun；　an　unforced　invention　about　everything　he　does；　that　is　infinitely　entertaining。　　Other　artists　draw　to　amuse　us；　Mr。　Caldecott　seems　to　draw　to　amuse　himself；and　this　is　his　charm。　　One　feels　that　he　must　have　chuckled　inwardly　as　he　puffed　the　cheeks　of　his　〃Jovial　Huntsmen；〃　or　sketched　that　inimitably　placent　dog　in　the　〃House　that　Jack　Built；〃　or　exhibited　the　exploits　of　the　immortal　〃train　band　captain〃　of　〃famous　London　town。〃　　This　last　is　his　masterpiece。　　Cowper　himself　must　have　rejoiced　at　it；and　Lady　Austen。　　There　are　two　sketches　in　this　bookthey　occupy　the　concluding　pageswhich　are　especially　fascinating。　　On　one；　John　Gilpin；　in　a　forlorn　and　flaccid　condition；　is　helped　into　the　house　by　the　sympathising　（and　very　attractive）　Betty；　on　the　other　he　has　donned　his　slippers；　refreshed　his　inner　man　with　a　cordial；　and　over　the　heaving　shoulder　of　his　〃spouse；〃　who　lies　dissolved　upon　his　martial　bosom；　he　is　taking　the　spectators　into　his　confidence　with　a　wink　worthy　of　the　late　Mr。　Buckstone。　　Nothing　more　genuine；　more　heartily　laughable；　than　this　set　of　designs　has　appeared　in　our　day。　　And　Mr。　Caldecott　has　few　limitations。　　Not　only　does　he　draw　human　nature　admirably；　but　he　draws　animals　and　landscapes　equally　well；　so　one　may　praise　him　without　reserve。　　Though　not　children's　books；　mention　should　here　be　made　of　his　〃Bracebridge　Hall；〃　and　〃Old　Christmas；〃　the　illustrations　to　which　are　the　nearest　approach　to　that　beauideal；　perfect　sympathy　between　the　artist　and　the　author；　with　which　the　writer　is　acquainted。　　The　cut　on　page　173　is　from　the　former　of　these　works。

Many　of　the　books　above　mentioned　are　printed　in　colours　by　various　processes；　and　they　are　not　always　engraved　on　wood。　　Butto　close　the　account　of　modern　woodengravingsome　brief　reference　must　be　made　to　what　is　styled　the　〃new　American　School；〃　as　exhibited　for　the　most　part　in　〃Scribner's〃　and　other　Transatlantic　magazines。　Authorities；　it　is　reported；　shake　their　heads　over　these　performances。　〃C'est　magnifique；　mais　ce　nest　pas　la　gravure；〃　they　whisper。　　Into　the　matter　in　dispute；　it　is　perhaps　presumptuous　for　an　〃atechnic〃　to　adventure　himself。　　But　to　the　outsider　it　would　certainly　seem　as　if　the　chief　ground　of　plaint　is　that　the　new　ers　do　not　play　the　game　according　to　the　old　rules；　and　that　this　（alleged）　irregular　mode　of　procedure　tends　to　lessen　the　status　of　the　engraver　as　an　artist。　　False　or　true；　this；　it　may　fairly　be　advanced；　has　nothing　whatever　to　do　with　the　matter；　as　far；　at　least；　as　the　public　are　concerned。　　For　them　the　question　is；　simply　and　solelyWhat　is　the　result　obtained？　　The　new　school；　availing　themselves　largely　of　the　assistance　of　photography；　are　able　to　dispense；　in　a　great　measure；　with　the　old　tedious　method　of　drawing　on　the　block；　and　to　leave　the　artist　to　choose　what　medium　he　prefers　for　his　designbe　it　oil；　watercolour；　or　black　and　whiteconcerning　themselves　only　to　reproduce　its　characteristics　on　the　wood。　　This　is；　of　course；　a　deviation　from　the　method　of　Bewick。　　But　would　Bewick　have　adhered　to　his　method　in　these　days？　Even　in　his　last　hours　he　was　seeking　for　new　processes。　　What　we　want　is　to　get　nearest　to　the　artist　himself　with　the　least　amount　of　interpretation　or　intermediation　on　the　part　of　the　engraver。　　Is　engraving　on　copper　to　be　reproduced；　we　want　a　facsimile　if　possible；　and　not　a　rendering　into　something　which　is　supposed　to　be　the　orthodox　utterance　of　woodengraving。　　Take；　for　example；　the　copy　of　Schiavoti's　engraving　of　Blake's　Death's　Door　in　〃Scribner's　Magazine〃　for　June　1880；　or　the　cut　from　the　same　source　at　page　131　of　this　book。　　These　are　faithful　line　for　line　transcriptions；　as　far　as　wood　can　give　them；　of　the　original　copperplates；　and；　this　being　the　case；　it　is　not　to　be　wondered　at　that　the　public；　who；　for　a　few　pence　can　have　practical　facsimiles　of　Blake；　of　Cruikshank；　or　of　Whistler；　are　loud　in　their　appreciation　of　the　〃new　American　School。〃　　Nor　are　its　successes　confined　to　reproduction　in　facsimile。　　Those　who　look　at　the　exquisite　illustrations；　in　the　same　periodical；　to　the　〃Tile　Club　at　Play；〃　to　Roe's　〃Success　with　Small　Fruits；〃　and　Harris's　〃Insects　Injurious　to　Vegetation；〃to　say　nothing　of　the　selected　specimens　in　the　recently　issued　〃Portfolios〃will　see　that　the　latest　ers　can　hold　their　own　on　all　fields　with　any　school　that　has　gone　before。　｛15｝

Besides　copperplate　and　wood；　there　are　many　processes　which　have　been　and　are　still　employed　for　bookillustrations；　although　the　brief　limits　of　this　chapter　make　any　account　of　them　impossible。　Lithography　was　at　one　time　very　popular；　and；　in　books　like　Roberts's　〃Holy　Land；〃　exceedingly　effective。　　The　〃Etching　Club〃　issued　a　number　of　books　circa　184152；　and　most　of　the　work　of　〃Phiz〃　and　Cruikshank　was　done　with　the　needle。　　It　is　probable　that；　as　we　have　already　seen；　the　impetus　given　to　modern　etching　by　Messrs。　Hamerton；　Seymour　Haden；　and　Whistler；　will　lead　to　a　specific　revival　of　etching　as　a　means　of　bookillustration。　Already　beautiful　etchings　have　for　some　time　appeared　in　〃L'Art；〃　the　〃Portfolio；〃　and　the　〃Etcher；〃　and　at　least　one　book　of　poems　has　been　entirely　illustrated　in　this　way；the　poems　of　Mr。　W。　Bell　Scott。　　For　reproducing　old　engravings；　maps；　drawings；　and　the　like；　it　is　not　too　much　to　say　that　we　shall　never　get　anything　much　closer　than　the　facsimiles　of　M。　AmandDurand　and　the　Typographic　Etching　and　Autotype　panies。　　But　further　improvements　will　probably　have　to　be　made　before　these　can　pete　mercially　with　woodengraving　as　practised　by　the　〃new　American　School。〃

〃Of　making　many　books；〃　'twais　said；　〃There　is　no　end；〃　and　who　thereon　The　everrunning　ink　doth　shed　But　probes　the　words　of　Solomon：　Wherefore　we　now；　for　colophon；　From　London's　city　drear　and　dark；　In　the　year　Eighteen　EightOne；　Reprint　them　at　the　press　of　Clark。

A。　D。

Footnotes：

｛1｝　　This　is　the　technical　name　for　people　who　〃illustrate〃　books　with　engravings　from　other　works。　　The　practice　became　popular　when　Granger　published　his　〃Biographical　History　of　England。〃

｛2｝　　Mr。　William　Blades；　in　his　〃Enemies　of　Books〃　（Trubner；　1880）；　decries　glassdoors；　〃the　absence　of　ventilation　will　assist　the　formation　of　mould。〃　　But　M。　Rouveyre　bids　us　open　the　doors　on　sunny　days；　that　the　air　may　be　renewed；　and；　close　them　in　the　evening　hours；　lest　moths　should　enter　and　lay　their　eggs　among　the　treasures。　　And；　with　all　deference　to　Mr。　Blades；　glassdoors　do　seem　to　be　useful　in　excluding　dust。

｛3｝　　〃Send　him　back　carefully；　for　you　can　if　you　like；　that　all　unharmed　he　may　return　to　his　own　place。〃

｛4｝　　No　wonder　the　books　are　scarce；　if　they　are　being　hacked　to　pieces　by　Grangerites。

｛5｝　　These　lines　appeared　in　〃Notes　and　Queries；〃　Jan。　8；　1881。

｛6｝　　In　the　Golden　Ass　of　Apuleius；　which　Polia　should　not　have　read。

｛7｝　　M。　Arsene　Houssaye　seems　to　think　he　has　found　them；　marked　on　the　flyleaves　with　an　impression；　in　wax；　of　a　seal　engraved　with　the　head　of　Epicurus。

｛8｝　　This　chapter　was　written　by　Austin　Dobson。DP

｛9｝　　The　recent　Winter　Exhibition　of　the　Old　Masters　（1881）　contained　a　fine　display　of　Flaxman's　drawings；　a　large　number　of　which　belonged　to　Mr。　F。　T。　Palgrave。

｛10｝　　By　Mr。　Cosmo　Monkhouse。

｛11｝　　These　words　were　written　before　the　〃Art　Journal〃　had　published　its　programme　for　1881。　　From　this　it　appears　that　the　present　editor　fully　recognises　the　necessity　for　calling　in　the　assistance　of　the　needle。

｛12｝　　The　example；　here　copied　on　the　wood　by　M。　Lacour；　is　a　very　successful　reproduction　of　Clennell's　style。

｛13｝　　He　also　illustrated　the　〃Memoirs　of　Joseph　Grimaldi。〃　　But　this　was　simply　〃edited〃　by　〃Boz。〃

｛14｝　　The　reader　will　observe　that　this　volume　is　indebted　to　Mr。　Crane　for　its　beautiful　frontispiece。

｛15｝　　Since　this　paragraph　was　first　written　an　interesting　paper　on　the　illustrations　in　〃Scribner；〃　from　the　pen　of　Mr。　J。　yns　Carr；　has　appeared　in　〃L'Art。〃

End

【一支红枫】整理