Merrie Primrose en haar veulen, raspaard van de hertog van Grafton 1825 - 1827

This print, "Merrie Primrose en haar veulen, raspaard van de hertog van Grafton", was made by Victor Adam sometime in the 19th century. It’s rendered in lithography, a printmaking technique that relies on the smooth surface of a stone or metal plate. Lithography is interesting because it's a chemical process as much as a manual one. The artist draws on the surface with a greasy crayon, then treats the stone so that ink only adheres to those drawn areas. Each print then captures the subtleties of the artist’s hand. In this image, Adam captures the texture of the mare’s coat and the soft focus of the background. You can almost feel the close connection between the mare and her foal. It's not just about depicting horses, but also the social status of the owner, the Duke of Grafton, and the value placed on breeding and lineage. The original drawing has been translated through technology and the skilled labor of the printer into multiples for wider circulation. The use of lithography democratizes the image, making it available to a broader audience, and prompting us to consider the wider social context of art production and consumption in the 19th century.