Page:Chats on old prints (IA chatsonoldprints00haydiala).pdf/412

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  • wards on the print by hand. Both Turner and

Girtin in their early days were employed on this work for J. R. Smith's plates. A very fine aquatint is not unlike a water-colour drawing. In fact, in some cases the high lights were removed with a knife. For the first thirty years of the nineteenth century many volumes appeared with coloured illustrations done in this manner bearing the names of Ackerman, of Havell, and other publishers.

In 1804-5 a series of six views on the Thames was executed in this style by William Daniell, who together with other members of his family are well known for aquatint illustrations principally dealing with Oriental life and travel. His Voyage round Great Britain, in eight volumes, contains over three hundred coloured plates of very good quality. A complete set is worth about twenty-five guineas, but separate plates are easy to procure.

William Havell did a set of Thames drawings for another series published in 1812 by D. and R. Havell. Some fine aquatints by Stadler were produced after Prout's architectural drawings, coloured by hand, and David Cox and Turner both provided subjects for the aquatinter.

Passing mention must be made of the process of George Baxter (1806-1867) of using several blocks for colour printing. His results he termed "oil pictures." They exhibit a great delicacy of finish, and are brilliant in colour. He published them about 1850 at prices varying from 2s. down to 6d. each. They came at a period when albums and books of "gems" were the necessary appurtenances of the drawing-