Wagen met keien getrokken door paarden 1830 - 1831

Alexandre-Gabriel Decamps made this lithograph, "Wagen met keien getrokken door paarden," using limestone and greasy crayons. Lithography is rooted in the physical properties of stone, grease, and water, and their interactions. Decamps drew directly onto the prepared limestone surface. The image was created by the grease crayon repelling water, while the bare stone absorbed it. Ink adheres to the greasy areas, transferring the image onto paper when pressed. Notice how Decamps utilized this medium to create the composition's tonal range, from the darkest shadows of the horse, to the soft hues of the stone pavement. Lithography allowed for the relatively quick reproduction of images, and became enmeshed with the social and economic changes of the 19th century. In Decamps’s print, we see working horses hauling carts, a scene resonant with the era’s industrialization and urbanization. This print blurs the lines between fine art and the reality of labour, reminding us of the materials, processes, and social contexts that shape our understanding of art.