print making, Mrs. Maurine Cooper will be concentrating on the historical perspective in her lunch-time lecture today.

She has entitled her illustrated talk "Master Printers of the Past'' and will show through slides, examples of work by such greats as Durer, Rembrandt, Hogarth, Goya, Daumier, Toulouse-Lautrec, Mary Cassatt and Degas.

One of the most interesting of the great list of artists who became fascinated by the world of prints, was William Hogarth (1697-1764), sometimes referred to as "the father of English art''. His drawing academy, which he set up in St.

Martin's Lane in 1735, was the main forerunner to the Royal Academy.

A pioneer of the mass circulation of artists' engravings, Hogarth invented and popularised the use of sequences of anecdotal pictures in which, as he wrote: "I treat my subjects as a dramatic writer: my picture is my stage, and men and women my players''.

Having married into the aristocracy, his engravings such as the classic `The Rake's Progress', `Marriage a la Mode' (as shown in illustration) and `The Harlot's Progress' did little to endear him to the upper classes. Today, his prints reveal a fascinating, if somewhat sermonising glimpse into everyday life in the first half of 18th century England.

The 19th century French artist, Toulouse-Lautrec, is famous for having earned acceptance of lithography as a legitimate art form. Influenced by Gauguin and colourful Japanese prints, this son of a nobleman was fascinated by capturing the low life of Paris.

The American artist, Mary Cassatt was also a gifted printmaker who specialised in etching and drypoint. Greatly influenced by her friend and master printer, Edgar Degas, she became as skilled at print making as she was as a painter of oils.

Mrs. Cooper's Lunch Time Slide Show takes place today at the National Gallery from 12.30 to 1.30 p.m. Tickets, available at the desk, are $5 for members, $10 for non-members. As usual, `brown bag' lunches are encouraged.

MARRIAGE A LA MODE -- The "mirror image'' produced by 18th century English artist William Hogarth in his two versions of `Marriage a la Mode'. On the left is his oil painting, on the right, his engraving of the same scene. the oil painting is now in the National Gallery in London. Techniques of printmaking will be discussed at lunchtime today by Maurine Cooper in a seminar at the Bermuda National Gallery. The Gallery is currently staging an exhibition on the subject.