Messrs. Johnstone and O'Shannessy's Mezzo Crayon portraits.

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Title

Messrs. Johnstone and O'Shannessy's Mezzo Crayon portraits.

Author

Author not identified

Source

Argus (Melbourne).

Details

28 October 1876, p.4, col.7.

Publication date

28 October 1876

Type

News

Language

English

Country of context

Australia

Full text

MESSRS. JOHNSTONE AND O’SHANNESSY’S MEZZOCRAYON PORTRAITS.

In the artistic mind there is even now a latent hatred of photography. Nor is this a baseless and reasoning dislike. For photography scotched, if it did not kill, the beautiful art of portraiture. Miniature painters, whose delicate work on ivory was highly valued and liberally remunerated, succumbed, after a brief struggle, against the new mechanical process. And it is quite an open question whether Reynolds, or Gainsborough, or Lawrence would have had the opportunity of achieving their imperishable fame had they been in their younger days confronted with and discourages by a rival process, which, however inferior in itself, saves the time as well as the money of the sitter. In the unabridged dictionaries of 20 years ago, the heliograph, daguerreotype, and photograph, are indifferently described as being methods of fixing, by aid of the camera-obscura, images upon copper sheets plated with silver. It was not until the system was discovered of printing from the negative plate upon paper that photography commenced to be in any sense artistic. And how feeble were its beginnings! Let any one who doubt this look at the carte de visite of himself, or of his contemporaries, of 15 years ago. As if to compensate the world for the deadly blow it had dealt - engraving and portrait-painting, photography has been itself gradually fighting its way into the ranks of art. Take, for instance, Vernon Heath’s autotypes, or that large photograph of the Coliseum presented (with others) to our National Gallery by Dr. Rowe, and from these it may be learned of what modern photography is capable. We have lately seen a portfolio of views of Scottish scenery worthy of a place on the drawing room table beside Art Journal to its best days. Nor is the highest development of photographic skill limited to the reproduction of landscape. There are now on view at the establishment of Messrs. Johnstone, O’Shannessy, and Co., in Bourke-street, a group and some single figures which are far in advance of anything of the kind ever before shown in Melbourne. The largest of these are some 3ft. 6in. by 2ft., and they commend themselves not only for their fidelity to the originals, but for their thoroughly artistic character. They are pictures in the best sense of the word. In some sense they are composite, for although the faces and figures are solar enlargements of smaller photographs, the backgrounds and surroundings are composed by the hand of a true artist. These mezzo-crayons, as they are called, have all the purity and definiteness of a first-class engraving, combined with the utmost softness and delicacy. They are the work, we understand, of a French artist whose services Messrs. Johnstone and O’Shannessy have secured. Apart from business considerations, the firm will, we are assured, have pleasure in showing these pictures to any one interested or curious in such matters. Messrs. Johnstone and O’Shannessey have always displayed readiness to test every discovery relative to portrait photography, and to adopt such as were really improvements. There can be no doubt that their latest has been their most successful effort. To give the best possible effect to this and their processes, they built a new operating room, commanding various lights, and have expended a considerable sum in other improvements of their premises.

[Argus (Melbourne), 28 October 1876, p.4, col.7.]