Lithography 1800-1850 by Michael Twyman

Review by: LYNTON LAMB

Journal of the Royal Society of Arts, Vol. 118, No. 5166 (MAY 1970), pp. 371-372
Published by: Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce
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MAYI97O NOTESON BOOKS

artand artists, and oftengreatvirtuosity has 5,000artists publicaid,butwhatis morere-

been brought to the displayof avant-gardemarkable, theywereleftfreeto follow thedic-
criticism. However, I believethistohavebeen tatesoftheir owntalents andwishes. Beginning
addressed moretocritics thantothepublic, and about1945,America emerges as thedominant
in generalit has not clarified but perhaps influence in contemporary art.It is as ifduring
confused stillmore. theSecondWorldWarthelastoftheromantics
By contrast, in Theories ofModern Artthe hadvanished, to be replaced bythenewscien-
ideasanddoctrines ofnewmovements arepre- tificculture withits newmedia,its scientific
sented to us bythemenwhoactually initiated techniques, opticalphenomena, kineticpro-
them.Beginning withtherelatively fewletters cesses,in factalmost a totalconceptual experi-
ofCézanne, itis significant tonotehisinstruc- mental art.
tionto theyoungpainter EmileBernard, 'Do In reading theseletters ranging overthepast
notbe a critic butpaint, therein liessalvation!' eighty years, it is impossible notto be startled
In factCézanne's favourite maxim wasto'work' bythedeepsenseofdespair apparent in some,
and avoidtheorization. His letters constantlyas in FrancisBacon,'Mannowrealizes thathe
re-affirm thisbelief as wellas a passionate faith is anaccident, a completely futilebeing, thathe
inthestudy ofnature as a basisforhisart. hastoplayoutthegamewithout reason'(1963).
Fromthepainters andcritic historians ofpost- Or at theoppositeend,a defiant and almost
impressionism, Professor Chipp has collected aggresive pridein contemporary intellectual-
significantmaterial intheletters, amongst others, ism: 'The theory of information, theGestalt
of Gauguin,Van Gogh,AlbertAuriesand theory, experimental psychology, semiology, ex-
MauriceDenis,the last a prolific writer on perimental aesthetics, cybernetics, mathematics,
symbolism and othersubjectivist tendencies.geometry, technology andindustrial techniques,
Arttheories andartistic programmes beganto all nowconstitute a vastrepertory ofworking
assertthemselves withthenextgeneration of possibilities and demonstrative rules' (from
artists,influenced by thevariouscurrents of DavidBoriani 1966).Thislaststatement is a far
European thought. Kandinsky's treatise on The cryfrom the'nature' so passionately advocated
Spiritual inArtitogether withhisessayon The byCézanne. Itiscomforting torecall thewisdom
Problems ofFormis quotedbyProfessor Chipp ofa statement byHenryMoore:'Allgoodart
as a 'pivotal document ofabstract art'.Indeed, has contained bothabstract andsurrealist ele-
thenewreality soughtby artistsbrought an ments, justas ithascontained bothclassical and
increasing spateofdoctrines andcredosanda romantic elements, orderandsurprise, intellect
growing pre-occupation withtheory. Surrealism j and imagination.'
asthedominating influence onpoetry andpaint- Professor Chipphaschronicled animportant
the
ingduring '30s is well illustrated by inter- historyof ideas.If thehistory also records a
views,statements andletters fromitsfounder growing joylessness in art,thismay,alas,be a
leaders,theextensive writings ofdeChirico, one salutary lesson.Is it toolateformodern man,
of its majorexponents, beingin themselvesequipped perhaps as neverbefore, tolivenever-
highly valuedinliterature. Thoughrationalismthelesswithinthat awarenessthatinspired
wasdiscredited bythesurrealists, a dissentingGoethetowrite:
voiceis heardin theletters ofAndréMasson! 'Wieherrlich leuchtet mirdieNatur
the
deploring 'demagogy of the irrational',whilst Wie glänzt die Sonne wie lachtdieFlur'?
j
stilllaterin 1944he wrote, 'Peopletalka lot | OTTILIE TOLANSKY
aboutabstraction with reference tocontemporary
art.Perhaps a painter willbeallowed tosuggest
thatthistermshouldbe reserved formeta-¡ Lithography 1800-1850
physical discussions. . .'. In thiscontext it is j
interesting tonotea remark byChagall : 'Formy ByMichaelTwyman
partI havesleptwellwithout Freud.I confess I London , Oxford University Press, 1970.£6 net
havenotreada single oneofhisbooks.' In discussing the 'techniques of drawing on
Bridging the'30sand'60s,Professor Chipp stoneinEngland andFranceandtheirapplica-
offersaninteresting chapter on'ArtandPolities', tionin worksoftopography' theauthordeals
withselected writings from European as wellas withthe'accepted techniques oftheprofessional
American artists. Thesewritings includenot lithographic draughtsman', because'thework
onlytherevolutionary viewsofTrotsky on art ofthepainter lithographer hasbeenthecentral
insociety, butalsoas evidence ofa very differentinterest ofmostwriters on lithography, whilea
kind, thespeech byHitler inaugurating the1937 j studyof thecommercial developments of the
Exhibition ofGerman ArtinMunich, a brutally ¡ processwouldhave openedup an entirely
propagandist andgrossly inhuman document. different fieldwhich,I hope,mayone daybe
Whilea restricted doctrine ofSocialist Realism thesubject ofa companion volume.'
wasgaining ground in theRussianculture, in Thislimits theinterest forartists,artstudents
America a greatexperiment in democratic cul- andgraphic designers, ifnotforthespecialist
turewasbornintheFederalArtProject during art historian. A study,by someoneso well-
theRoosevelt era.This Projectnotonlygave equippedas Mr. Twyman, of thecommercial

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 OF THEROYALSOCIETYOF ARTS
JOURNAL MAYI97O

developments wouldbe fascinating. And so lopment oftheprocess from thefamous laundry

wouldhispursuit ofthe'central interest',which list,orinchronicling themissionary zealofthe
remains central forverygoodreasons. Anyone inventor, hisneedforsecrecy, andthesuccessive
whotakesartstudents tothePrintRoomofthe applications byhimself andothers forprotection
BritishMuseumto showthemworksof the bypatent.
great'painter lithographers'might findthefirst Senefelder cametoEngland in1800,where he
reaction boredacceptance. Butifthestudent can complained thathe was keptin 'a perfect
be persuaded to lookagain,he willbecome seclusion fromsocietyforfearof losingthe
fascinated bythefreedom anddirectness with secret'.His agent,PhilippAndré,withsome
which themedium canbeused.It is,infact, the apparent notionoftheEnglish, sought to pro-
painterlithographers who can shakeoffthe motethenovelty fromabroadby publishing
somewhat depressing associationsoflithographySpecimens ofpoly autography drawn onstoneby
withtopographical draughtsmanship. a cross-sectionofthepublicthatincluded the
This is the pointmadeby Mr. A. Hyatt President oftheRoyalAcademy andtheEarlof
Mayorintroducing thenew*editionof Alois Warwick. It was nota succès fou; but when
Senefelder's ownA Complete CourseofLitho- Ackermann laterdrewthe attention of the
graphy inthe1819English translation.He says Society ofArtsto theinvention 'it wasagreed
thattheprocesscameat 'an aptmoment when thatSenefelder shouldbe presented withtheir
theromantic cultof geniusbeganto prefer a Gold Medal. It was Ackermann, then,who
master'sautographic sketch,no matterhow really madetheSociety awareoftheimportance
slight,toa formal work carriedoutwiththehelp oftheprocess which hadalready beenpractised
ofassistants'. EvenJoseph Pennellmissedthis in Englandfor nearlytwentyyears.'Mr.
point.And,so farfromenjoying thefreedom Twyman tellsus thatpartofthis'practice' had
offered, thelithodraughtsmen usedtheprocess beenabortive. The secrethadbeensoldtothe
as a kindofpianola. AsMr.Twyman says,'they Quarter-Master-General's Officein Whitehall
werenotinthehabitofexperimenting oreven 'where itwastobe usedforofficial andmilitary
allowing a drawing toevolveonthestone'. purposes.Atfirst littleprogress wasmade,the
This explainsRuskin'sprejudiceagainst officer whohadbeeninitiated intotheprinciples
lithography, whichinfuriated theyoungA. S. oftheprocess beingunabletomakeitwork.'
Hartrick, untilCharlesHolroyd, thenat the Bynoweveryone witha smattering ofknow-
Slade,calmedhimwith,'WhereRuskin praises ledgein thegraphic artsknowsthatthelitho-
youaresafetofollow, butwhenheblamesyou graphic principle is basedonthemutual repug-
hadbetter lookforyourself.'** nanceofgrease andwater. Buthowever obvious
Mr.Twyman's extensively documented work thismaybeintheory, itspractical demonstration
is handsomely producedby letterpress in an inlithography, forthefirst time, partakes some-
imperial 8voformat of302textpageswith158 whatof magic ; so thatany history of the
plates.Detailenlargements show7 theeffects of processproduces thephrase'veiledinmystery'.
chalk,inkline,inkwash,stumpwork, andthe It remainsto be said that Mr. Twyman
useoftintstones.I imagine thatno sourcehas thoroughly understands his subject,findshis
escapedscrutiny in tracingthetechnical deve- waywitheasethrough thecomplex transactions
hehaselected torecord, andwrites aboutthem
* daCapoPress, NewYork, 1968. inan English ofpleasing simplicity, completely
**Lithography asa FineArt OUP, freefrom
, byA. S. Hartrick, anyhintofjargon.
LYNTON LAMB
1932.

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