Antoni KAMIEŃSKI (1878 - 1944), Kamionka, 1898

heliogravure, paper; 23.5 x 19 cm (clear passe-partout), 36.5 x 31 cm (framed, passe-partout); signed on panel. p. d.: Antonio Kamieński; inscribed under composition at center: KAMIONKA / ("LUX IN TENEBRIS LUCET"); p. d.: Meisenbach Riffarth & Co.
Georg Meisenbach was a German engraver and inventor of the autotype. In 1883 Meisenbach & Co. merged with Heinrich Riffarth & Co. to form Meisenbach Riffarth & Company, a well-known European graphic arts firm.
Heliogravure (gr.helio + gravure) - a type of graphic intaglio printing technique, similar to aquatint, involving the photographic transfer of an image onto a metal plate (usually copper) and etching with photosensitive emulsion so that the brightest areas create the shallowest recesses. Invented in 1879.Printing is done in a special hand press. Heliogravure, which was widespread in the 19th century, was later supplanted by rotogravure, as heliogravure is an expensive and very time-consuming method. Heliogravure is used only when it is necessary to create a small number of copies of very high quality.