Sculptura Historico-Technica: Or, the History and Art Of
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**i : < *.v University of California • Berkeley Pv,W &> \'\M. 7t Sculptura Hijiorico-Technica : or, t h % HI STORY and ART O F ENGRAVING. CONTAINING, I. The Rife and Progrefs of Engraving. II. Of Engraving in general* III. Of Engraving, Etching, and Scraping on Copper, as now pra&ifed. IV. An Idea of a Fine Colle&ion of Prints. V. The Repertorium; or, A Collection of various Marks and Cyphers, with Additions, To which is now added, « A Chronological and Hiftorical Series of the Painters from the Eleventh Century. Extracted front Baldinucci, Flo rent leCompte,Fairthorne* the Abecedario Pittorico, and other Authors. With COPPER. PLATES. The Fourth Edition. LONDON: Printed for J. Marks, in «$/. Martin*s Lam. M DCC LXX. THE PREFACE. render a Treatife on any Art TOor Science acceptable to every Reader, it fhould certainly be calculated to inftrudt as well as entertain ; and in order to fulfil this Intention, it is ne- ceffary that Ideas fhould be prefent- ed to us in fuch a Manner, as to make a ftrong and lading Impreffion upon our Minds : I flatter myfelf that proper Attention has been paid to both thefe Circumftanc'es in the following Treatife, which has hitherto been re- ceived as an ufeful as well as an agree- able Work. A 2 Every iv The PREFACE. Every curious Enquirer muft receive infinite Satisfaction, in tracing the various Improvements of any of the Arts from their primary Sources, and obferving with Care the Difficulties they encoun- ter in their Progrefs towards Perfection : But, his Labour will be considerably di- minifhed, if he (hould be affifted in the .Profecution of his Enquiries by the In- duftry and Attention of others who have before treated for this on the Subjedl 5 by Means much Light will be thrown upon the Point in Queftiona. and he will be prevented from falling into thofe Errors which he probably would not have eicaped, had he been left to his own Conjectures. The Antients are generally allowed to have excelled in the Art of Painting ; though very few of their Works have been handed down to us, as it was im- poffible The P R E F A C E. v poflible to preferve them from the In- juries of Time and other Accidents : Engraving however, ftepped in with its Afliftance, and eftablifhed a lafting Memorial of its Ufefulnefs, by the Pre- fervation of many beautiful Pieces in Painting, as well as in Sculpture, Ar- chitecture &c. the Originals of which have been deftroyed : Painters and other Artifts therefore, are as much obliged to the Invention as the Public ; for with- out of their it, many moft capital and valuable Performances would have been loft. It may indeed be obje&ed, that Defigning could have anfwered thefe but let it Purpofes ; be considered, that Drawings as well as Paintings are generally confined to a fewPoffeffors; whereas by the Art of Engraving, a Number of Imprcflions may be taken from one Plate, without the leaft Devi- ation of a iingle Line. A 3 The vi J& PREFAC E. The Reader will be led from the Rife of this Art through its various Stages to that Degree of Perfection which it has acquired in the prefent Age : The Hiftorical Part comes firft ; in Secondly, the Art general ; Thirdly, Metzotinto and Etching ; Fourthly, ; of Fifthly, an Idea of a fine Colle&ion deferves Prints y which part particular attention, as the Gentleman will here in the have proper Rules to afiift him choice and difpofition of his Colle&ion, which, when properly arranged, will afford him a Fund of rational Amufe- ment for his leifure Hours. Sixthly, the Characters, or Marks and Cyphers ufed by Engravers &c. with their ex- the Initials ufed planation ; Seventhly, by fomc Artifts inftead of Marks or or the fame at other Cyphers, by Times ; Eighthly, will be given a Chronological and Hiftorical Series of Painters from the The P R E F A C E. vii the eleventh Century to the prefent the Student will be Time 3 Ninthly, furnifhed with an Alphabetical Index of the Chriftian and Surnames &c. and laftly, with an Alphabetical Lift of the Surnames before the Chriftian Names. This Edition is rendered more com- plete by the infertion of feveral Marks omitted in the former, together with the Series the whole Chronological -, being difpofed in a regular Manner, the fe- veral Parts following each other as the Subject leads, which Method I hope will be moft agreeable to the Reader. THE THE CONTENTS. Page E Hiftory of the Art of Engraving. i THOf Engraving in General, — 15 Of the Quality of Copper requifite for Plates. 1 7 Direftions the Strokes or Cuts 1 for conducing , 20 of the Graver. — — — J - the Hair Men for Engraving of } 21 and Beajls, and the Beard. — 3 * ' - Sculpture. — — — 22 Stuffs. — — — 23 • Architecture. — — — 24 Land/kips. — — — 25 Strokes or Cuts of the Graver* 26 -— IVater. — — 2 7 —— Clouds. — — — 28 1 Prcferving an Equality and 7 9 Harmony in the TVurk. — — j The Art ofEngraving with Aqua Fortis, and 1 '47 to make the hard Varnijh. — — 3 To make theCompofition of Tallow and Oil, to 1 cover thofe Places in the Plate, where you r 48 would not have the Aqua Fortis eat in. J To x The C O N T E N T S. Page 71? prepare the Ingredients for making the 7 49 Aqua Fortis for the bard Varnijh. — £ To make the Aqua Fortis. — — 50 To know good Copper from bad. —• — 51 To planijh and poHJh the Plate. —- — — 52 To apply the hard VarniJJ), and make it black. 55 To dry and harden the hard Varnijh on the Plate. 5 7 To choofe the Needles to make the Tools to etch 7 5°g with. Plate — — — J 3. — To whet the Points of the Needles. — 59 "~" To preferve the Varnijh on the Plate. — 60 To Etch. — — — ——— — 61 To guide the Needles on the Plate. — 62 To ufe the Oval-Points, to make large Strokes 1 in etching or graving with Aqua Fortis. ( 64 Plate 5. — — — 3 To the Plate prepare for receiving the\ ,% Aqua Fortis. — — — — J To make a Trough and Frame to hold the Plate 1 %vhen you would pour the Aqua Fortis J* 69 on it. — — — 3 The Manner of cafling the Aqua Fortis on ~\ the Plate, and to cover the Places that I are and remote the 1 faintejl, mofl from f 7 the as \ Eye , with fore-mentionedMixture, Occafion requires. — — — — To take the Ground or Varnijlifrom the Plate, 1 after the Aqua Fortis has done its f 79 -* Operation. — — — — —" Of [oft Varnijlo. To make it, and its Ufes. 82 The the orl Manner of laying foft Ground, o * Vat ni/J)- nn the Plate. —- — — «* Vat nifl), on the Plate, To borderborder the PlaPlate that it may contain the 1 ™ Aqua Fortis The * The C O N T E N T S. xi Page The Manner to lay a white Ground on the 7 ^ hard or — — J joft Varnijh. on Another Way to lay a White the Varnijh. 95 are eat in 1 The Manner after the Plates by the Aqua Fortis, to touchy or re-grave I , ^ that which had beenforgot or Jhould be f mended, — —* — ' The fever al Ways of Draiuing the Defign \ on ths Plate. — — — ) " The Forms ofGraving-Tools, and the Manner 1 of whetting the Graver. Plate g. 3 The Manner of holding the Graver, with l other Particulars. — — — ^ , j The the Hand &c. 106 Manner of governing ', or Of Mezzotinto, called Scraping Burnijhing \ on Copper. — — — — J An Idea of a fine Colledion of Prints. no or Repertorium 9 Marks and Cyphers ofl ^ ' Engravers and Painters, &c. — — 3 The Initials ufed by Engravers, for their X Marks. — — — — —S l 79 A Chronological and Hijlorical Series of the 1 moft eminent Painters from the Eleventh r 192 Century, &c. — — — — 3 An Alphabetical Index of the Chrijlian Names 1 and the Painters and En- I , Surnames of gravers, with their Places of Abode, and f ' when they jlourified, &c. — An Alphabetical Lijl of the Surna?nes, before 1 the Chrijlian Names, of Painters, En- ? 250 gravers and Sculptors* — — — 3 THE HISTORYTHE OF THE Art o/~ Engraving. all the Arts which are defcended from Defigningi none, except Ar- OFchitecture, Painting, and Sculp- ture, has given fo much Pleafure, or has been of more Ufe, to all Lovers and Pro- fefifors of the Liberal Sciences, than that of Engraving ; whether on Copper, or Wood : for, by this Means, all the cele- brated Performances and Inventions of the moll eminent Mailers, are exceedingly well imitated, and reduced to fo fmall a Size, as to be communicable to the whole World. *Tis by the A ffi fiance of this Art, thofe who have never crofted the Seas, are acquainted with the magnificent Struc- tures, beautiful Statues, inimitable Paint- ings, &c. with which the Cities, Churches and Palaces of other Countries, and parti- cularly Italy i are adorned: Which is a lingular Pleafure to the Lovers of thofe Arts, and of no lefs Ufe to thofe who B profeis 2 The History of the profefs them ; for, as it is an evident Truth, that we have no Ideas but what arife from Senfation, fo confequently the readieft .Way to form them, is by con- templating the noble Works of others. This Art, which by the beft Authors is placed among the pwoxwwQgfo was acci- dentally difcovered in the fourteenth Cen- tury, by one Mafo Finigucrra, an inge- nious Goldfmith and Sculptor of Florence ; who was famous not onJy for defigning and embofiing Figures on Gold and other Metals, but alfo for engraving, and after- wards inlaying them with Metals of other he in the Colours ; which did following Manner.