Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 1.djvu/679

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ENGRAVING, or GRAVING, the Art, or Aft of that he forbad any body elfe to Engrave his Head : And

Atiguflus's Head, Engraven by the latter, was found fo beautiful, that the Succeeding Emperors chofe it for their Seal.

All the polite Arts having been buried under the Ruins of the Roman Empire, the Art of Engraving on Stones met the fame Fate. It was retriev'd in Italy, at the Be- ginning of the I5?# Century ; when one John of Florence, and after him 'Dominic of Milan, performed Works of this Kind no Way to be defpifed.

From that Time, fuch Sculptures became common enough in Europe, and particularly in Germany, whence great

cutting Metals and precious Stones, and reprefenting Figures. Letters, and other Matters thereon.

The Word is a Compound of the Prepofition in, and the Greek yeiov, I write. Tho' Menage, after Salmafius, derives it from cavare, to hollow; others from the Latin, graphiare; and others from the German, graben, q. d. Effodere, to dig out. In Latin it is called Sculptura and Ccelatura.

Engraving is properly a Branch of Sculpture ; tho', with us, it generally Hands contra-diftinguifhed from Sculpture; As the latter, popularly call'd Carving

preffes the forming of Figures, &c. Embofs'd, or in Re- Numbers were font into other Countries ; but they came lievo; and the latter, thofe indented, or in Creux. See fhort of the Beauty of thofe of the Ancients; especially Relievo and Creux. thofe on precious Stones; for as to thofe on Cryfral, the

Among the French, the Term Engraving, Graveure, is of Germans, and after their Example, the French, &c. have more Extent. It includes all Sculpture, both that perform'd fucceeded well enough.

with the Chiffel and Knife, on Marbles and Woods, in In this Branch of Engraving, they make Ufo either Relievo; and that in Metals, Stones, &c. with the Graver, of the Diamond, or Emery. The Diamond, which is the indented. See Sculpture. hardeft, and moft perfect of all precious Stones, is only cut

Engraving is divided into feveral Branches, according by it folf, or with its own Matter. See DiAMonD, &c. to the Matters it is praclifed on, and the Manner of The firft Thing, is to cement two rough Diamonds to performing it. The Original Way of Engraving on Wood the Ends of two Sticks, big enough to hold them fteady is now diftinguifhed by the Name of Cutting in Wood^ by, in the Hands; and to rub or grind 'em againfl each that on Metals with Aqua Fortis, is called Etching ; that other, till they be brought to the Figure dcfired. The by the Knife, Burniffier, Punch, and Scraper, Mezzotinto ; Dull, or Powder, rub 'd off, ferves afterwards to polifh 'em 5 that on Stones, for Tombs, iSc. Carving or Stone cutting ; which is perform'd with a Kind of Mill, that turns a and laflly, that perform'd with the Graver on Metals, as Wheel of foft Iron. See Lapidary. Copper, Brafs, Steel, Silver, SSc. as alfo on precious Stones, The Diamond is fix'd in a BrafsDifh, and thus apply'ct Crystals, &c. retain alone the primitive Denomination of to the Wheel, which is cover'd with Diamond Dull, mix'd Engraving. See Cutting in Wood, Etching, Carv- up with Oil of Olives : And when the Diamond is to be ino, and Mezzo Tinto. cut facet-wife, they apply firft one Face, than another, tct

Engraving is an Art, for the greateft Part, of Modern the Wheel. Invention; having its Rife no earlier than the 16th Rubies, Saphirs, and Topazes, are cut and form'd the Century. The Antients, 'tis true, practifed Engraving on fame Way, on a Copper Wheel; and polifh'd with Tri~ pretious Stones and Cryftals, with very good Succefs ; poli, diluted in Water. See Emery.

and there are ftill fome of their Works remaining, equal As to Rubies, Emeralds, Hyacinths, Amethifts, Grenats, to any Production of the later Ages. But the Art of Agats, and other of the fofter Stones, they are cut on a Engraving on Plates, or Blocks of Wood, to afford Prints, Leaden Wheel, moiften'd with Emery and Water, and or Impreflions, was not known till after the Invention of polifh'd with Tripoli, on a Pewter- Wheel. Lapis, Opal, painting in Oil. ^c. are polilh'd on a Wooden Wheel. See Wheel.

The 'Difcovery is afcribed to Mafo Finiguerra, a Gold- To falhion and Engrave Vafes of Agat, Cryftal, Lapis, fmith of Florence ; who having uled to take Impreflions or the like, they have a Kind of Lathe, like that ot the of every thing he cut, in Clay; and to caft melted Sulphur Pewterers ; excepting, that whereas the latter is to hold in this Mould ; at length hit on a Way of taking the the Veffels, which are to be wrought with proper Tools ; Impreflions thereof on Paper, by fmearing this Figure of the former generally holds the Tools, which are turn'd by Sulphur with Oil and Lamp-black. a Wheel, and the Veffels held to 'em to be cut and En-

The Secret foon got Abroad, and coming to the graved, either in Relievo, or otherwife: Remembring Hands of Albert 'Durer and Lucas, they greatly improved from Time to Time, to moiften the Tools with Diamond it, and began to Engrave on Wood and Copper, in which Dull and Oil; or, at leaft, Emery and Water, they fucceeded to Admiration. See Print. To Engrave the fmaller Works of any of thefe Stones,

Engraving in Copper, is employ'd in reprefenting when polilh'd; fuch as Medals, or Seals, i$c. they ufo a divers Subjects, as Portraits, Hiftories, Landskips, Foliages, little Iron Wheel, the two Ends of whofo Axes are receiv'd Figures, Buildings, ($c. either after Paintings, or Defigns within two Pieces of Iron placed upright, as in the Turners made for the Purpofe. Lathe ; to be brought clofer, or let further apart, at Plea-

It is perform'd either with the Graver, or with Aq ua lure. At one End of one of the Axes, are fitted the pro- Poms, per Tools, being kept tight by a Skrew. Laftly, the Wheel For the firft, there needs but little Apparatus, and few is turn'd by the Foot; and the Stone applied by the Hand Inftruments. The Plate you work on being well polifh'd, to the Tool ; and thus fhifted and conducted as Occafion is cover'd over with a thin Skin of Virgins Wax, and on this, re u ires.

the Draught, or Defign, done in black Lead, red Chalk, or The Tools are generally of Iron, fometimes of Brafs. Aa other ungum'd Matter is laid ; and rubb'd down for the to their Form, it is various, but generally bears fome Refem- Wax to take off. The Defign thus transferr'd upon the blance to ChiSfols, Gouges, ci^c. Some havefmall round Heads Wax is traced thro' on the Copper, with a Point or like Buttons ; others, like Ferreis, to take the Pieces out 5 Needle: Then heating the Plate, and taking off the Wax, others, flat, SSc. Thefe Tools are not applied direaiy the Strokes remain; to be follow'd, heighten'd, e?c. accord- againft the Stone; but, as it were, fidewife ; thus wearing; ing to the Tenor of the Defign, with the Graver, which and, as it were, grinding off the Subftancc. And ftill,- is to be very lharp, and well temper'd. whether it be Figures, or Letters, or Characters, the Man-

In the Conduit of the Graver, confifts all the Art ; for ner of Application is the fame. The Tools, as above which there are no Rules to be given; all depending on obferved, are to be frequently moiften'd with Diamond the Habitude, Difpofition, and Genius of the Artift. ' Dull, and Oil of Olives. When the Stone is Engravenj

The other Inftruments are, a Cupion, or Sand-Bag, to they polifh it on Wheels of Brufhes, made of Hogs BriHles lay the Plate on, to give it the neceffary Turns and Mo- and Tripoli. For the larger, and lefs delicate Works, they tions : A Surnijher, round at one End, and ufually have Copper, or Pewter Tools, on purpofe to polifh the fiattifti at the other, to rub out Slips and Failures, foften Ground, or plain Parts, with Tripoli, &c. which they ap- the Stroaks, he. A Scraper, to pare off the Surface, on ply after the fame Manner, as thofe wherewith the Graving- Occafion : And a Rubber of black Cloth, or Hat, to fill is perform'd,

up the Strokes, that it may appear how the Work Engraving on Steel, is chiefly employ'd in cutting proceeds. Punches, Matrices, and Dies, proper to Strike Coins, Medals,

Engraving in Copper -with Aqua Fortis. See and Counters. See Coinage. Etching. The Method of Engraving, with the Inftruments, iSc.

Engraving on precious Stones, confifts in reprefenting are the fame for Coins, as for Medals and Counters :. All Figures or Devices, either in Relievo, or Indented, on divers the Difference confifts in their greater, or lets Relievo; Kinds of hard, polilh'd Stones. See Precious Stones. the Relievo of Coins being much lefs considerable than

The Art of Engraving on precious Stones, is one of that of Medals ; and that of Counters ftill lefs than thaj thofe wherein the Ancients excell'd; there being divers of Coins. See Medal. .

antique Agats, Cornelians, and Onyx's, which furpafs any The Engraver in Steel ufually begins with Punches, Thing of that Kind the Moderns have produced. Tyr- which are in Relievo, and ferve for making the Creux, or goteles among the Greeks, and 2)iofcorides under the firft Cavities of the Matrices, and Dies. Tho'^ Sometimes, he Emperors of Rome are the moft eminent Engravers we begins immediately with the Creux; but 'tis only when read of: The former was fo efteem'd by Alexander, the intended Work is to be cut very fhallow. The firffi

Qq * Thing.