Haast u langzaam 1878

This narrative print, "Haast u langzaam", was made by Rudolf Carl Gottfried Geissler sometime in the late 19th century. It is a chromolithograph, a method of color printing that allowed for the relatively inexpensive mass production of images like this one. Considered a form of craft due to the many steps involved, chromolithography demanded both technical skill and artistic sensibility. Each color was printed from a separate stone, requiring careful alignment to create the final image. Here, that labor-intensive process gives us a glimpse into the life of another worker, the bricklayer. His work is hard, physical and potentially dangerous. In each scene we see him toiling, from the early morning to the end of the day. The very process used to create this print mirrors and acknowledges the labour it depicts. By giving value to both artistic and manual work, Geissler’s print bridges the gap between the fine arts and the crafts.