Page:The brothers Dalziel; a record of fifty years' work in conjunction with many of the most distinguished artists of the period, 1840-1890; (IA brothersdalzielr00dalz).pdf/10

 J. W. Whymper. Orrin Smith, Mason Jackson, W. L. Thomas, W. J. Linton, J. D. Cooper, C. Roberts, Biscombe Gardner, Joseph Swain, and J. W. Palmer—all true artists. draughtsmen, and painters, as well as wood engravers.

Touching the old cry of defective reproduction, we say that at times there could not fail to be some amount of depreciation, but never such as justified the senseless and vulgar remarks made by certain critics, which can only be passed over in consideration of their total want of technical knowledge of the art, and of the conditions under which much of the work was produced. Coarse epithets have been used towards men who were devoting, with all possible earnestness, their skill to an art for the reproduction of work for popular issues. Wood engraving, being no exception to other arts, demands conditions necessary for the production of perfect work. First, the man who makes the drawing ought to know the capabilities of the material and should work accordingly; second, the engraver should have all the true instincts of an artist; and, third, he must have the full interval of time to perform his work with proper care.

A large amount of wood engraving being done on the rush, it was a common thing to “burn the midnight oil” and the engraver’s eyes at the same time, and it is a marvel that so och beautiful artistic work was done under such conditions.