Omslag voor: Amsterdam. Oorsprong en afleiding van de namen der grachten, eilanden, pleinen, straten, stegen, bruggen, sluizen en torens dezer stad 1865

This lithograph, “Omslag voor: Amsterdam,” was made by Johan Coenraad Leich in the mid-19th century. It combines the tradition of fine art printmaking with the vernacular form of the illustrated book cover. This artwork’s material presence is defined by the lithographic process: a greasy crayon is used to draw on a stone, which is then chemically treated so that the ink adheres only to the drawn areas. It's a relatively quick and easy process that allows for the inexpensive reproduction of images, but the artist's hand is always directly involved. This print depicts a street scene in Amsterdam, overlaid with a fantastical cloud of figures and place names. Leich was clearly engaged with the traditions of both fine art and commercial art. He combined these two worlds in a way that speaks to the increasing commercialization of art in the 19th century, and the rise of a mass market for printed images. This cover asks us to question any distinction between the fine and applied arts.