STEEL ENGRAVING – “FEEDING-TIME” from the painting by A. Paoletti, engraved by J. Greatbach, published in 1885.  This engraving is in very good condition.  The engraving measures 7 ¼” x 9 ¼”, and is matted to 12” x 16” for easy framing.

Five children are feeding a flock of pigeons with corn in front of a church.  A little girl is holding her arm out and letting one of the pigeons feed from her hand while resting upon it.  A boy rests his hand upon his knee and watches a similar procedure on the part of another bird; while the older girl, who holds a jug, leans over with an interested expression.  Her little sister contents herself with dropping some corn on the stone pavement, where nine or ten of the pigeons are gathered, and a little boy, as usual, interferes with her fun by diverting the attention of two of the birds to himself.  The painter has made careful studies of these figures, and has not used slap-dash methods in producing them.  The suggestion of the pigeons going to church to be fed was probably in a line with the religious sentiment of the country, and intended to meet the popular view.  Another of Paoletti’s works is “The Gamesters.”  The engraver in the present instance has endeavored to give the full effect of the large porticoes, wide steps, and massive pillars of the entrance to the church, and also to reproduce as delicately as he could the gradations of light and shade.  He has certainly done the painter a service by his work.  Many painters, indeed, appear to better advantage in reproductions in black and white.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE

Antique prints, engravings, and lithographs are printing processes, which use steel, copper, stone or wood blocks or plates to produce a picture on paper.

Most antique prints and engravings, which are seen on the internet today, are bookplates.  Because they are pages from a book, there are multiple copies in existence.  This does not, however, mean that they are "reproductions" that have been printed recently.  Because they were, at some point, part of books, some have been preserved in excellent condition, while others show signs of age, as yellow spots or darkness on the edge of the page from being handled.

Engravings, lithographs, are high quality pieces of art, as it took a highly trained artist many hours of work to produce one.  Although there may be multiple copies still in existence, the date of the item should be stated in the auction, thus giving the buyer an idea of its age.

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