Ross Woodrow
Research Convenor
Postgraduate Co-ordinator
Senior Lecturer, Art Theory
School of Fine Art
University of Newscastle
Digital translation of the First Artists' Book
The Henry Hunter translation of Johan Caspar Lavater's Essays on Physiognomy has long been recognised as one of the greatest examples of the book arts produced in England. One contemporary English reviewer claimed it was "the finest printed book which has ever appeared in this or any other country." No expense was spared in the production of the three volumes from 1789, 1792 and 1798 and many of the eighteenth century's best artists including Henry Fuseli and William Blake were involved in the production of the 534 copper-engraved plates and in-text illustrations.
Laveter's Essays on Physiognomy (in its English, German and French editions) is a book like no other in the eighteenth century and from a technical and theoretical perspective it is a demonstration of the power of the graphic arts in the pre-photographic era. Forgetting Lavater's claims for a science of physiognomy, the book presented a picture gallery executed by the leading artists and engravers of the century, as John Graham has noted. It is not an exaggeration to claim Laveter's editions as artists' books since not only was Lavater a drawing teacher but he and his artist collaborators such as Fuseli envisaged the English edition as a work of art. Immense effort was devoted to the quality of the content and printing in the illustrations as these were the very foundation for the analysis in the text.
The Henry Hunter translation of Laveter can be viewed today in the British Library and some of the world's other major libraries but it could not be said that such a rare and valuable object is easily accessible. Several years ago I published on the Internet a digital translation of the later more popular and condensed translation of Laveter by Thomas Holcroft. This is now catalogued in many of the electronic databases around the world including the Dutch National Library. Recently I have undertaken the digital translation of the massive Henry Hunter edition and in this session I will present the outcome by allowing delegates to compare the digital translation with the original printed version.
I will outline the technical and theoretical issues involved in the translation of material images into digital formats, highlighting the accessibility and flexibility offered by new technology. I will particularly delineate the need to recognise the unique properties of the digital format as distinct from the printed original.
Ross Woodrow was born in Mackay in Queensland. He is the Assistant Dean of Information Technology at the Faculty of Education and Arts at the University of Newcastle, where he has lectured in Art Theory since the 1980s. He has also lectured at the National Gallery of Australia and has written numerous articles for books and journals including Australian Art Monthly, Australian Art Collector and Artlink. He has curated a number of exhibitions including Painting Men: Dobell from a different perspective (School of Fine Art Gallery, University of Newcastle) and is currently working on Twentieth Century Drawng from the Collection for the Newcastle Region Art Gallery. He was a founding member of the International Art History Webmasters Association and has worked on a number of significant web based projects. His Digital Lavater site can be found at www.newcastle.edu.au and his public educational Analysis of Visual Images site can be found at http://www.newcastle.edu.au/