Two Gentlemen 1932

Imre Reiner made this image, "Two Gentlemen," using lithography, a printmaking process that relies on the chemical repulsion between oil and water. Here, Reiner likely drew his composition of two figures onto a stone or metal plate with a greasy crayon or ink. This area attracts the oil-based ink, while the blank areas are treated to repel it. The paper is then pressed against the plate, transferring the design. The lithographic process allows for a wide range of tonal effects, from delicate lines to broad washes of color, visible in the varying shades of grey and yellow. The linear quality evokes the effect of drawing, and this immediacy obscures the labor of printing, as do the seemingly spontaneous gestures of smudging and shading. By exploring these materials and methods, we can appreciate how Reiner blurs the boundaries between drawing and printmaking. He shows the artistic potential inherent in both disciplines, using the industrial process of lithography to create a unique work of art.