APPRECIATION OF PRINTS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21297, 26 September 1932, Page 10

APPRECIATION OF PRINTS

COMPLEXITY OF PROCESSES LECTURE AT ART GALLERY An address on the appreciation of prints was given i n the Art Gallery Hall yesterday afternoon by Mr. T. V. Gulliver. r lho lecture concluded a series of three addresses arranged by the Library Committee of the City Council, a member of the committee, Mr. B. Martin, who presided, stating that the support accorded probably would lead to further programmes being arranged. "I believe a print is as much a work of art as a painting or a sculpture, and, as such, must be treated on its merits." Mr. Gulliver stated. "It is of more complex development, and indeed is often an experiment. But the chemical processes associated with this art are alone a fascinating study." Mr. Gulliver said the art depended on the two fundamentals of lino and tone. There were two sub-divisions, surface and groove printing, and there were the further branches, including woodcuts, wood engraving, etching, dry point, line engraving, lithographic printing, mezzotints, aquatints and stipples. The speaker dealt with the technical, side of woodcuts, the history of which went back 2000 years, wood engraving and etching. "Etching has often been called the 'painter's hobby' because it is remarkable how many great painters have also been etchers," Mr. Gulliver continued. "But a print itself is very acceptable in a home, particularly because there is such a limited space ill many modern homes. And then, again, most prints are black and white studies, and agree with any colour scheme." Mr. Gulliver concluded by saying that the value of prints depended upon the following qualities, in order of importance: condition, fashion, rarity, merit and age. At present, sporting prints were in great demand. It was significant that age did not necessarily make a print valuable, and there was also tho collector's viewpoint that prints which were rare might be valuable, but those which were not rare were never. valuable.