Porcs / Pigs / Schweine / Porgi. / Zwijnen 1829 - 1880

This print, “Pigs,” was produced by the firm of Joseph Scholz, though we don’t know exactly when. It's a lithograph, meaning it was printed from a flat stone surface, using the repellant properties of oil and water. The image was likely drawn on the stone with a grease crayon, then treated with acid to etch the design. From a material perspective, what’s interesting here is how Scholz has used this relatively new industrial printing process to represent a very old, agrarian subject: the raising of livestock. It’s worth reflecting that this image would have been made at a time of major upheaval in European society, as traditional ways of life were challenged by industrialization. The print, with its charming depiction of rural life, speaks to a nostalgic longing for a pre-industrial past, even as it embraces the techniques of mass production. It reminds us that art and technology are always intertwined.