The Transmission And Promotion Of Etching In 19th Century England

In the early nineteenth century,the etching replaced the engraving for its convenience and was used mainly in England to reproduce the works of artists.However,the etchers’ status was low and they did not enjoy the same treatment as oil painters and sculptors at the Royal Academy of Arts,so the etchers were desperate to escape from this predicament and in the 1850 s launched a ‘revival’ of etching,one of the main leaders of which was Sir Francis Seymour Haden.Seymour Haden made a significant contribution to the development of etching in Britain by raising the academic and social status of etching,redefining it not only as a vehicle for a small number of artists to create art,but also as an art with a unique expressive language,and elevating the etcher from the status of craftsman to that of artist.This change in identity and professional attributes has made etching no longer on the periphery of art practice or the art market.The paper consists of an introduction,a main text and a conclusion,of which the main text is divided into four chapters.The first chapter compares the state of the printmaking market in Victorian Britain and analyses the social context and reasons for the shift from reproduction to creation of British etchings.The second chapter explores Haden’s transformation as an amateur etcher into a promoter and creator of etchings and the process of his transformation through an insight into his life history and the exploration of the art of etching.The third chapter analyses Haden’s activities in spreading the idea of original printmaking through the publication of monographs,lectures and exhibitions,and the promotion of the famous artist Whistler,before changing tack and founding the Royal Society of Painter-Etchers and Engravers to further elevate the status of etching.Chapter 4 discusses how,through Haden’s promotion and influence,etching came to the forefront of British artistic production and gained both official and market recognition in the UK.The etching gradually replaced the engraving,original prints gradually replaced reproductions in the British printmaking market,and etchers were awarded the same distinction as oil painter and sculptors as Fellows of the Royal Academy of Arts.