Portret van Gerardus Wouter Verweij Mejan 1830 - 1850

This is a lithograph portrait of Gerardus Wouter Verweij Mejan, made by Isaac Cornelis Elink Sterk in the 19th century. Lithography, unlike painting or sculpture, is a printmaking process. The artist draws on a flat stone with a greasy crayon, then treats the stone so that ink adheres only to the drawn areas. The resulting prints could be made quickly and relatively cheaply, a process directly tied to the rise of mass media and visual culture in the 19th century. Look closely and you’ll notice the fine lines and subtle gradations of tone. These were achieved not with the direct touch of the artist’s hand, but through a mechanical process of reproduction. This was a radical shift from earlier forms of portraiture, like painting, that emphasized the unique skill and vision of the artist, and the status of the sitter. Here, the social context is just as important as the image itself. It's not just a portrait; it's a product of a changing world, where art and information could be disseminated more widely than ever before.