... In addition to the added decorative
octagon & statuary embellishments, above lithograph is a better look be-cause, in this case at least, the litho-graph
process captured the smooth-ness of the subject's face much more effectively ...
...The small irregular "spotty" texture, characteristic of a lithograph, is
clearly revealed...
![dona_isabel.1enlargement1.jpg](sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/dona_isabel.1enlargement1.jpg)
...There are countless "antique" deal-ers who either
pretend ignorance, or are simply confused on the point...(I can't begin to count the times I've seen half-tone prints declared
to be "original lithographs" or worse, "origi-nal watercolors"...by amateur dealers and collectors alike...)
![hr18.450.jpg](sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/hr18.450.jpg)
UP TO THIS POINT, we have illustrated three fundamental cate-gories in the printing process :
1) Line & stipple, mezzotint, etching;
these are all different types of en-gravings within the same catagory, "intalglio".
2) Halftones fall in the "photographic" catagory
and finally
3) Lithographs (including chromolith-ographs) fall
into the "planographic" catagory.
![hr18.450.jpg](sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/hr18.450.jpg)
![spanish_flower_girl.chrom.small.jpg](sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/spanish_flower_girl.chrom.small.jpg)
... Though some may prefer color over all, it is
important to know that the presence of color neither precludes nor assures quality. While the above chro-molith, published
in "Leslie's Pop-ular Monthly" in 1882 ( without credit to either artist ) is still a good render-ing, it simply is not
as well drawn as Forberg's etching : take note of the overall delicacy of the figure, espe-cially the face and hands;
the skill of the etcher's tool trumps the chromo-lith's more hastily drawn subject. The key word "Popular" may be the issue
here; did the American publisher Leslie assume a lack of sophistication of his American clients, compared to the Ger-man public?
The scary part is he may have been right even up to this day ...
![spanish_flower_girl.ktd.enlg1.jpg](sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/spanish_flower_girl.ktd.enlg1.jpg)
... this enlargement brings home why some would prefer
the color of the flowers ... However, when returning to the whole (as this is not about flowers; confirmed by the German title)
the pic is really about a young, beautiful Span-ish woman who happens to be a "Flower Girl" ... a common trade with many young women
in 19thC Europe ...
... a little cruder and formulaic,
but in color and overall, not bad;
keeping in mind that much more skill
(and training) is required for an artist
to draw the contours of the hand than
of the face, a fact long lost on most
|