18 SEPTEMBER 1830, Page 21

ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE WAVERT;MY NOVELS.

VERY general complaints have been made, in public and in private, by the readers of novels and lovers of art, concerning the embellish- ments to the new and beautiful edition of the Waverley Novels ; and the proprietors of the work have been accused of a niggardly economy in this respect, as the occasion of the repeated failures in the execution of the plates. This charge is, we are assured, unfounded ; for their libe. rality both to artists and engravers has been testified, and we have seen the most popular names among the artists and engravers to the several plates. The fault rests then either with the artists or the engravers, or with both ; and we are disposed to think that the latter is the case, although the great weight of responsibility must rest with the artists. The artist is commissioned not merely to make a design, but to paint a picture; and the choice of subject being left to himself, he has no excuse for not producing a good painting, but one which no artist will acknow. ledge—incapacity. Then as regards theengraver, he submits proofs of his work in its various stages, to the artist who can correct them until the effect which he requires is produced. The skill of our engravers is pro- verbial, and their number is daily increasing. The only palliation of their inefficiency in faithfully copying the picture placed before them, is the sketchy manner in which these little designs are made, whether in oil or water-colours ; and in particular those parts requiring the greatest nicety and exactness of detail, and which are of principal importance— we mean the faces. These are too commonly indicated rather than delineated. Han artist have not in his mind a very definite ideaof the character and expression of the countenance which he intends to give to the ideal personage of the story, it is easy for him to touch in a face with colour which shall harmonize with the design, and convey to the eye of the observer at a distance something like meaning ; but when this indecisive sketch comes tobereduced, no wonder that the engraver should be puzzled how to render a few touches of the brush representing eyes, nose, and mouth, with an indistinctness very favourable to the fancy, but most unsatisfactory to the engraver. Thus the most essential part of the design is slovened over in the engraving ; and not only is the face unmeaning, but perhaps rendered totally at variance with the character for whom it is intended. There is sufficient difficulty, even to an en- graver, in reducing accurately (especially from an oil painting), a set of features that shall have the identical expression and character in the miniature engraving which they wear in the original picture ; and it is a task that requires a skilful draughtsman, which cannot be expected of every engraver. It may happen also, that an artist may not be dia. posed to bestow the time and trouble requisite in repeatedly correcting the successive proofs of the work of an engraver ; and may choose to save himself the pains of correcting what he may think none but himself will notice ; and we do not doubt that too many of them think that a plate is a plate, and anything prettily tickled up "with effect is good enough for the pablic. The proprietors may think differently, but they may not possess the technical knowledge requisite to detect the deficiency of the design or the lapses of the engraver, even if they could devote that almost exclusive attention necessary .in this department. We would, therefge, recommend them to appoint some experienced person to superintend the getting-up of the plates,-such a man, for instance, as Mr. JOHN SHARPE ; who is well known for bis taste, judgment, and perseverance iu catering for the public, with greater benefit to art than to himself, in this laborious branch of publishing. The Anniversary— an annual that, for its beauty and perfection as regard the embellish- ments, ought to have been perennial-is the best testimony of his quali- fications for such a difficult and delicate office.