Portret van Edmond Willem van Dam van Isselt 1842 - 1887

This is a lithograph, a print made by Carel Christiaan Antony Last. The process begins with a flat slab of limestone, on which the image is drawn with a greasy crayon. This is treated with acid, making the drawn areas receptive to ink and the undrawn areas repellent. When printed, the ink adheres only to the drawn lines, creating a delicate, almost velvety effect. The image is in shades of gray and black, giving it a subdued, serious character, and it would have been a relatively affordable way to reproduce an image and circulate it widely. Consider the skilled labor involved, from quarrying the limestone to the expertise of the artist in manipulating the crayon. Lithography democratized image-making. It made art more accessible in an era defined by industrial change and shifting social structures. So, next time you encounter a print, remember that its material and making are integral to its cultural impact.