25 portretten van Nicolaas II van Rusland, Jelena Vladimirovna Romanov en anderen before 1899

This printed collection of portraits, undated and of unknown authorship, presents 25 images of Russian royalty, including Tsar Nicholas II and Grand Duchess Elena Vladimirovna. The images are lithographs, a printing process that democratized image production in the 19th century. The texture of the paper and the ink’s adherence to it are key to the effect. Lithography allowed for mass production, making these portraits accessible to a wider audience, feeding a growing appetite for images of the elite. The serial nature of the publication, advertised within the booklet, speaks to an emerging culture of consumption and celebrity. This compilation, made possible by industrial printing, reflects a society fascinated by its leaders, yet also hints at the growing accessibility of imagery – a precursor to our own image-saturated world. The very act of reproducing and distributing these portraits challenges the traditional aura of aristocratic power, subtly shifting the dynamics between ruler and ruled.