J. C Lindberg 1838

This print of J. C. Lindberg, by Frederik Ferdinand Helsted, is a lithograph. It’s made by drawing on a flat stone with a greasy crayon, then treating the surface so that ink adheres only to the drawn areas. The real magic of lithography is its capacity for subtle shading, visible here in the details of Lindberg's face and clothing. The artist's hand is crucial to determining the quality of line and tone. The finished print bears the trace of a highly skilled draftsman, capable of rendering an illusion of three-dimensionality on a flat surface. The print medium made images like this widely accessible. Compared to a unique painted portrait, a lithograph could be produced in multiples. It speaks to the rise of a new kind of visual culture, tied to broader social and economic shifts. Appreciating the labor, the making, and the context is essential to understanding its cultural significance.