Title

Etching and engraving [a lecture by John Shirlow].

Author

Argus

Source

Argus (Melbourne).

Details

12 August 1929, page 12, column 1.

Publication date

12 August 1929

Type

Essay/article

Language

English

Country of context

Australia

Abstract

Report of a lecture on etching and engraving delivered by John Shirlow in the Print Room of the National Gallery of Victoria.

Full text

Etching and Engraving.
A lecture on ‘Etching and Engraving’ was delivered by Mr J. Shirlow in the print room of the Museum on Saturday. Mr Shirlow explained how copper and steel plates were prepared for etching and the methods used to imprint the etching on paper. Most people, he said, Knew J.M.W. Turner as one of the world’s greatest landscape painters, but did not appreciate his standing as one of the most successful etchers of all time. Another famous etcher was J. McNeil Whistler. Whistler’s brother-in-law, Semour Haden, was a notable contemporary who improved the chemical bath used by Rembrandt for preparing copper plates. Other famous etchers were Murihead Bone and Samuel Palmer. In contrasting etching with photography Mr. Shirlow said that a photograph took in all the detail of a scene. The etcher left out the unessential, and gave character to a particular object upon which he wanted attention focused.

[Argus (Melbourne), 12 August 1929, p.12, col.1.]