Towards the end of last century, mezzotint engraving was practiced in England with great success; arising from its being peculiarly adapted to render effectively the works of sir Joshua Reynolds. M'Ardell, Earlom, Watson, Smith, Valentine Green, and Ward were among the best engravers of his works. The invention of this process is generally given to prince Rupert, others ascribe it to Dr. Wren, 1662, and state that prince Rupert merely improved on the invention. It has been practiced very generally from the time of its invention, but attained its highest position in sir Joshua's time; and it is very successfully carried out now, in an altered manner, additional force being aimed at, by means of stippling and etching. It is well calculated for producing broad effects: Turner's Libel. Studiorum, and the landscapes after Constable, are admir able examples of its capabilities in this way; the effect in Turner's plates, however, is heightened by etching.
Etching has been already described as a part of the process of E. ; but as practiced by painters, it is classed as a distinct art. The plate is prepared with a ground, and corroded in the same way; but the treatment is more free. Not being tied to the task of literally copying or translating the idea of another, like the engraver, the painter has scope to impart a spirit to his work peculiarly suggestive of what he intends to embody; his idea is represented directly, and not at second-hand, as it were. The etchings of Rembrandt, Paul Potter, Karl du Jardin, Adrian Vandevelde, Teniers, Ostade, Berg hem. Backhuysen, Van Dyck, Claude, Salvator Rosa, Canaletti, and other painters, are very highly valued, as conveying more completely the feeling of the painter than the best engravings. Etching was more practiced by the old than by modern
painters; yet Wilkie, Landseer, and other modern artists, have etched various plates, remarkable for character and spirit.
English works on E. or the History and Art of Chalcography and Engrav ing on Copper, by John Evelyn (Lond. 12mo, 1663; 8vo, 1755); The Art of Engraving and Etching, trz.th the Way of Printing Copper-plates, by M. Faithorne (Lond. 1702); Sculpttera Historico-technico, or the History and Art of Engraving, extracted from Bat dintteci Florent, Le Compt, Faithorne, the Abecadario Pittorico, and other authors (Lond. 4to, 1747, 1766, and 1770); An Essay upon Prints, by Gilpin (Loud. 8vo, 1767, 1768, and 1781); Strutt's Biographical Dictionary of Engravers (2 vols., 4to, Lond. 1785); Landseer's Lectures on Engraving (8vo, Loud. 1806); An Inquiry into the Origin and Early history of Engraving upon Capper and on Wood, by William Young Ottley (4to, Loud. 1816).
Of late years, many inventions have been introduced, having for their object to supersede the slow and laborious manual operations of E. by means of machinery and other appliances. It is, however, to business and ornamental purposes that they are chiefly applicable, and not to the production of artistic work of the kind treated of in this article. The subject will be noticed under MACHINE ENGRAVING, MEDALS, GLASS, etc. With regard to the reproduction of plates, and other applications of galvanic electricity to E., see GALVANISM and MAGNETO-ELECTRICITY. See also PHOTOGRAPHIC ENGRAVING.