There are many beautiful etchings of the Italian land scape painters, as well as by French and other foreigners, who, studying in Italy, or forming their style on the Ita lian models, must be considered as belonging to that school, such as Gaspar Mile, Glauber, Both% Rousseau, Sebastian Bourdon, Meyering, &c. But as the peculiarities of each will be better understood by an inspection of their works, than by any verbal descrip tion, we shall not enter on any further details on the subject.
The etchings of Canafeta, however, are executed in a manner so different from any thing that had been done before him, that we cannot forbear taking particular no tice of them. They are all architectural subjects, or views of streets, &c. principally in Venice : they display a great intelligence of perspective, and a tine sparkling effect of light, accompanied with a freedom and boldness of execution, which is hardly to be seen in the works of any other artist.
Many engravers have distinguished themselves by an elegant detail in their lights, whilst the parts in shade have been left in a state of comparative neglect and ob scurity. Canaletti is remarkable for the distinctness and detail which appear throughout the whole of his compo sitions, not only in the parts receiving the clearest light, but in those also which are under the deepest shade.
The first French engraver that we have on record is Noel Gamier, who lived about the middle of the 16th century. His manner is very Gothic, and appears like the work of a goldsmith. He executed a great number of initial letters for books, ornamented with figures and foliage. After him flourished Stephen de Laulne : his works are very numerous. They are in general small. He copied many of the prints of Marc Antonio with much success; but his engravings are mostly from his own designs. They are executed with the graver only, and have great merit. Claude Mellon introduced a new method. He expressed all the varieties of shadow by parallel lines without crossings, the greatest depth being given by only strengthening the lines, and consequently bringing them closer to each other ; and the effect he produced is clear, soft, and agreeable. The number of his plates is very considerable, among which there are many athnirable portraits. The most singular of all his productions is a print called the Holy Hankerchief, or Sudarium of St Veronica, executed with one spiral line, running in concentric circles from the point of the nose to the extremity of the work, with the motto, "formatur unicus una," representing, as large as life, the head of Christ, crowned with thorns, on a piece of linen. This print is not remarkable for any excellence of character or design ; we adduce it solely as a specimen of his dex terity in the use of the graver, and the whimsical use to which he, in this instance, applied it. He died at Paris in 1658. But the most brilliant epoch of French engrav ing was the time of Louis XIV. when the magnificence of the monarch, aided by the taste of his minister Colbert, produced such a constellation of artists as had never be fore appeared at one time. The most distinguished of all these were Gerard Edeliuck, and Gerard Audran.
Though the former was born at Antwerp, he must be considereU as belonging to the French school, as the splendid works on which his fame rests were all execu ted at Paris, where he settled. This extraordinary artist wrought entirely with the graver ; and his execution, which is both spirited and finished, discovers neither la bour nor littleness, negligence nor mediocrity ; and his heads are distinguished by the most lively expression. He was an accomplished toaster of what is called colour in engraving. He excelled both in history and portrait ; many of his plates are of a large size, and very nume rolls, evincing a most surprising facility. Of the family of the Audrans there were six eminent engravers ; but the most conspicuous is Gerard, born at Lyons in 1640. He carried the art to the highest pitch of perfection, par ticularly in his large plates of historical subjects. The immense plates of the battles of Alexander, after Le Brun, and his works after N. Poussin, and other Italian masters, are a lasting monument of his talents. The other artists of his family were all men of talents ; and though none of them equalled Gerard, the numerous works they have left are an honour to their country.
Nanteuil, who applied himself exclusively to the en graving of portraits, certainly of all his contemporaries is entitled to the highest rank ; and his works arc consi dered as the first productions of that department of the art. His style, in clearness and beauty of effect, have never been surpassed. Although he died at the age of 48, the number of his plates is very great ; all of them in a most finished style. In this department, the Drevets likewise hold a distinguished situation. There were three of this name. Peter Drevet the younger, is the most eminent of the family. His works are executed with the graver : though they have been surpassed in boldness and freedom, they have hardly been equalled in the beauty of his finishing, and the clearness of his stroke. His celebrated portraits of Bossuet and Samuel Bernard, are considered the finest specimens of that style of en graving. The style of Leclerc is different from all the preceding. The versatility of his talents is only equalled by the industry and success with which he exerted them. Besides his historical subjects and portraits of a large size, he executed an incredible number of small pieces of temporary interest, such as processions, triumphs, as well as architecture, landscapes, perspectives, and me dals. In his best prints, the forms of his figures are ele gant and correct: their draperies simple and well adapted to them, and the expression of his heads noble and cha racteristic ; and the landscapes, buildings, and other accessories, are executed with great taste. He generally advanced his plates with the point, to a state which left the graver only to give them more harmony and depth of effect ; and if his execution is inferior to Della Bella in the playful charm of the point, it possesses a judicious firmness, suited to the higher subjects he has engraved. The number of his plates amounts to nearly 3000.