This item is a steel engraving of the etching by James D. Smillie called “CEDARS BY MOONLIGHT.”  It was engraved by the artist and published in 1880.  The engraving is in very good condition.  The engraving measures 8 ¼” x 6 3/8”, and is matted to 11” x 14” for easy framing.

The American School of Etching made considerable advances in the late 1800’s, and among the founders was Mr. James D. Smillie, the author of “Cedars By Moonlight.”  He had long been an exhibitor of the American Water-color Society and the National Academy of Design before turning his attention to work with the needle; and it is a singular commentary upon the value of etching as an academic instructor that even his water-colors have shown signs of improvement since he began to etch.  The “Cedars By Moonlight” is one of the earliest instances in which an American etcher has undertaken to discriminate between daylight and moonlight – a discrimination easier in theory than in practice.  All painters know how difficult it is on canvas to represent real moonlight, not only so that it shall not be mistaken for daylight, but so that the exact and essential difference shall be seized and indicated.  A faint daylight is not a moonlight, nor is moonlight twilight; it has a quality of its own, and this quality is very rarely represented by American painters, or indeed by the painters in any country whatever.  Mr. Smillie was a native of New York; and his son James Smillie, was a celebrated engraver.

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, and 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, thus giving the buyer an idea of its age.