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ENGRAVING.

ENGRAVING.

Engraving on Wood and Copper for Pictural Represen-tation, are both modern inventions; the former was in-vented, as we are informed, by Albert Durer , about theyear 1520. It has since been in various stages progressivelyimproved, at different periods; but few have attained theexquisite perfection to which it is at present brought bythe eminent Mr. Bewick , as his various productions, andparticularly a recent publication on natural history, willevince. Nor must the tribute of our admiration be with-holden from Messrs. Branslon and While, in this line, as arecent cabinet edition of Shakspeare will fully prove theirdecided superiority.

The process of engraving on icood is diametrically dis-tinct and opposite to that of engraving on copper: as in theformer, the shades are produced by the parts of the workwhich are made most prominent, and obtrude unto thesurface of the substance; whence, its chief merit has beenregarded in leaving broad and well proportioned lights.The parts to produce this effect being of necessity exca-vated, great art and a masterly judgment are requisite toeffect this, and at the same time not to weaken the sub-stance, lest it should be injured in the pressure necessaryto obtain an impression.

The substance usually employed for these engravings iswood of a close grain; whence box-wood, in general, isselected. The impressions are obtained from wood engra-vings upon exactly the same principle as are the impressionsfrom typography ; and they can also be worked off at thesame moment and in the same chase, or rectangular frame,in which the letters of a page are fixed. This is a superi-ority which wood engraving possesses over copper, and re-commends itself to publishers on account of the saving inexpense of a double process in procuring copper-plate im-pressions in typographical works.

The art of engraving on copper-plates, for impressions, isalleged to have been originally invented by Peter Schoeffer ,an early printer, about 1450, the son-in-law of Faustus, orFaust, of Mentz. Although we are not ignorant that itis claimed by a Florentine goldsmith, of the name of Fin-guires, in 1640; who, having used liquid sulphur to takean impression of some chasing and engraving he had made,observed a blackness produced by the sulphur, left in the