Читать книгу The Employments of Women: A Cyclopædia of Woman's Work - Virginia Penny - Страница 49

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There are two kinds of cameo cutting—one with a lapidary's wheel, of hard stones, as the onyx and the sardonyx. The shell cameos are cut with small steel chisels, from the white portion of the shell, leaving the chocolate color for the background. The figures are in relief. The stone is prepared by the lapidary, and the artist arranges his design according to the capabilities of the stone. He makes a drawing in paper on an enlarged scale, and a model in wax of the exact size, and the latter is carefully compared with the stone, and such alterations made as the markings on the stone seem to require. The outline is then sketched on the surface, and cut with tools prepared for that purpose. After it has been properly cut, it is smoothed and polished. In Mrs. Lee's "Sculpture and Sculptors" we find an account of those that have engaged in cameo cutting in the United States. Mrs. Dubois, of New York, cut several cameo likenesses of her friends, and so well did she succeed that she went to Italy to acquire proficiency in the art; but the artist to whom she applied said he could teach her nothing—she had only to study the antique. John C. King, a sculptor of Boston, has also engaged in the art of cutting cameos; and Peter Stephenson, of Boston, had cut in 1853 between 600 and 700 cameo likenesses. He writes me: "Cameo cutting might be done by girls, especially the finishing process—polishing. When in Italy, some years ago, I employed girls to polish my cameos, and paid from 12 to 50 cents apiece. I think they earned about $1 a day. The employment is not unhealthy, but confining." Margaret Foley, formerly a member of the New England school of design, resided in Lowell, and cut cameos at $35 apiece. She was kept busy in filling orders. The Misses Withers, of Charleston, S. C., are said to cut cameo likenesses with beauty and skill. I saw Mr. L. a Frenchman, in New York, copying a likeness from a daguerreotype. He also copies from life. He learned the business in Paris. He charges $15 for those large enough for a breastpin, and which it requires him about three days to make; smaller ones are lower in price. He imports the stones, and furnishes without extra charge to those for whom he works. A good intaglio worker can make cameos, but a cameo worker cannot make intaglios. Some men can never learn the business. It would form a beautiful pastime and a profitable and refined occupation for a lady, if sufficient work could be obtained.