Man bekijkt zijn gezicht in de spiegel 1837
photo of handprinted image
aged paper
light pencil work
pale palette
yellowing background
photo restoration
light coloured
old engraving style
retro 'vintage design
watercolour illustration
This lithograph was made by Honoré Daumier, a master of the medium, in nineteenth-century France. Lithography involves drawing with a greasy crayon onto a flat slab of limestone, treating the stone chemically so that the image attracts ink and the rest repels it, and then printing the image onto paper. Daumier was a prolific social commentator, and lithography was his chosen weapon. The inherent qualities of the lithographic crayon – its ability to render both delicate lines and broad, shadowy masses – perfectly suited Daumier’s satirical eye. Look closely, and you’ll see how he used the crayon to build up the figure’s form with myriad tiny strokes, creating a sense of depth and texture. The printing process also allowed Daumier to produce images quickly and in large numbers. This was essential for his work as a caricaturist for the popular press, where he skewered the foibles of the bourgeoisie and the political elite. Daumier used his skills to great effect, demonstrating that even a “low” medium like lithography could be used to create powerful and lasting works of art.
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