Henry Farny: Working for Harper's

An Engraving by Henry Farny for Harper's
"The Last Scene of the Last Act of the Sioux War"

"Henry Farny left Woodward High School in 1863, sometime prior to the death that year of his father. But the mid-1860s, he was earning money with his artistic talents. He still had not received any formal training, although he was working as a commercial lithographer for Gibson & Company in Cincinnati. He had made drawings that had been used as illustrations in local newspapers, and soon was sending illustrations of Cincinnati events to Harper Brothers in New York. He finally was invited to work as an engraver and cartoonist for Harper Brothers in New York, where he moved in 1866.

The common technique used by large publishing firms in the 1860s was to provide drawings or photos to wood engravers. At Harper's, craftsmanship was valued, and the engravers were instructed to reflect the original medium and quality of line in reproducing the drawings.

Later in his career, Farny's illustrations for Harper's Weekly, Century Magazine, and other publications were conceived in his Cincinnati studio and then sent to the publishers as drawings or finished paintings in gouache on paper. From the late 1870s onward, the printing technology used by publishing firms had evolved from wood engraving to process engraving, which used photographic and mechanical methods to more efficiently transform an original work of art into a reproducible illustration. The original drawing was photographed, and the image was reproduced on a metal plate that was then rolled with ink and etched in acid. 

The gouaches Farny painted for publication were of a size similar to the oil and gouche paintings he created for exhibition or sale to his patrons, and they can stand on their own as finished works of art. At Harper's in 1866, Farny worked for Mr. Charles Parsons, manager of the art department, who was known for encouraging young artists. In New York, Farny had contact with other artists and would have had the opportunity to see exhibits of work by established artists. Regardless of this opportunity, when Farny was twenty he left the United States for Europe, where he studied traditional painting methods at established academies."

To be continued

(Excerpts from "The Artist's Materials and Techniques," an essay by Cecile D. Mear in "Henry Farny Paints the Far West.")