Portret van Des Genettes 1826 - 1854

This is a portrait of Des Genettes, made by Gerhardus Fredericus Eilbracht. The artwork is a lithograph, a printmaking process that relies on the chemical repulsion of oil and water. The image would have been drawn on a flat stone with a greasy crayon, then treated with acid to etch the design. The stone is then inked and pressed onto paper to create the print. What’s interesting here is the way lithography democratizes image-making. Unlike engraving, which requires specialized skills and tools, lithography allowed artists to reproduce images quickly and cheaply. This made art more accessible to a wider audience, and facilitated the distribution of portraits like this one, capturing likenesses for public consumption. Lithography also reflects the rise of industrialization and mass production in the 19th century. It represents a shift away from handcrafted art objects towards mechanically reproduced images, raising questions about originality, authorship, and the value of labor in the age of mechanical reproduction.