A technical dictionary of printmaking, André Béguin.
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glass prints
The glass print is based on a reproductive process using photographic means.
The "negative" is manually or directly worked by the artist on a piece of glass and therefore one can consider this technique to be a full fledged print making technique.
Cuvelier, Grandguillaume, and Dutilleux were the first to use this process around 1850 in the city of Arras in northern France. Some artists followed in their footsteps such as Charles Jacque, Daubigny, Rousseau, Millet, and Corot. Their engravings, using this process, may be seen in the Louvre. It does not seem, however, that there has been any use of glass prints since the time of the Barbizon school.
The glass plate used to make such prints was first covered with a layer of printing ink or collodion and then dusted with ceruse (with lead) powder. When these layers had dried the plate was placed on a black surface and worked with a steel point. On account of the dark surface the lines appeared black behind the white lead layer covering the plate. The next step, after drawing, was to make a photographic exposure on sensitive paper in much the same way as any photograph.
One could also use any other kind of transparent plate for making such prints (plastic, celluloid, etc.)
At present there are opaque gouache colours used in graphic art work that can be used to cover the plate instead of using the abovementioned means. [photographic processes]. Dan Welden, from Australia, developed a similar system; grained glass combined with photopolymer plates. [ solarplate printing on grained glass]
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