Results: The History of News and Communication * Part Eleven * The illustrators: The creation and distribution of woodcuts and engraved prints brought images, ideas, and entertainment to a wider audience. People outside of the upper classes could experience art.

English wood engraver and publisher Thomas Bewick established a studio for the creation and printing of commercial illustration that was used for many purposes, including works for children, educational materials for schools, natural history plates, and title-page art for books. Newspapers are increasingly embellished with engravings. Have you seen any of Thomas Bewick's Books on Birds and Nature?

Blake's technique was to produce his text and design on a copper plate with an impervious liquid. The plate was then dipped in acid so that the text and design remained in relief. That plate could be used to print on paper, and the final copy would be then hand colored Through his prints, paintings, and poems, Blake constructed a mythical universe of an intricacy and depth to match Dante's Divine Comedy, but which, liked Dante's, bore the imprint of contemporary culture and politics. When Blake died, in a small house in London in 1827, he was poor and somewhat anonymous; today, we can recognize him as a prototype for the avant-garde artists of the later nineteenth and twentieth centuries, whose creative spirit stands at odds with the prevailing mood of their culture. Have you read or seen any of William Blake's books?

The profession of illustration fully takes hold in the early 1800s. English and French caricaturists independently earned a living as full-time illustrators with sales of etched or engraved prints through small, gallery-like print shops and city street book stalls. This made illustration accessible and affordable. Books by Charles D--kens and other popular writers were illustrated throughout. I own a complete set of Charles D--kens Books with the original illustrations. Have you read or seen any of these Editions?

It is a surprise to most that Rembrandt's international fame was first made by his etchings and engravings, not his paintings. During just four decades in the 1600s, Rembrandt pushed the possibilities of printmaking to extraordinary new heights. No one before or since has managed to attain anywhere near the same expressive results with just a needle and copper plate. What singles out his work is the astonishing truth conveyed by his mark-making. He never fabricated what he saw to make it more appealing, he only ever depicted what was in front of him in total honesty. Quite simply Rembrandt had an "extraordinary fidelity" for what his eyes' perceived. Have you seen any prints of Rembrandt's etchings?

Gustave Doré, in full Paul-Gustave Doré, (born January 6, 1832, Strasbourg, France—died January 23, 1883, Paris), French printmaker, one of the most prolific and successful book illustrators of the late 19th century, whose exuberant and bizarre fantasy created vast dreamlike scenes widely emulated by Romantic academicians.from 1848 to 1851 he produced weekly lithographic caricatures for the pour Rire and several albums of lithographs (1847–54). His later fame rested on his wood-engraved book illustrations. Employing more than 40 woodcutters, he produced over 90 illustrated books. Among his finest were an edition of the Oeuvres de Rabelais (1854), Les Contes drolatiques of Balzac (1855), the large folio Bible (1866), and the Inferno of Dante (1861). I own a collection of books completely illustrated by Gustave Dore, including our Family Bible. Have you seen or read any of the books Gustave Dore illustrated?

Engraving is an intaglio printmaking process in which lines are cut into a metal plate in order to hold the ink. In engraving, the plate can be made of copper or zinc. The metal plate is first polished to remove all scratches and imperfections from the surface so that only the intentional lines will be printed. This process is still used today and can involve the use of computer technology. Are you surprised that intaglio printmaking process is still being carried out in Europe and using technology as part of the process?

In Part Twelve we will look into the History of Caricature: the Art of Exaggeration. Charles Philipon, owner of the magazine La Caricature, often depicted King Louis-Philippe with a pear-shaped face. This was political satire and sometimes dangerous work. Do you enjoy political satire cartoons and caricatures?