Gezicht op de Stromarkt, het Singel en de Lutherse kerk 1835

This print, by Huib van Hove, shows the Stromarkt, Singel, and Lutheran church in Amsterdam, made using lithography, a printing process utilizing the chemical repulsion of oil and water. Van Hove meticulously rendered this cityscape, likely through a laborious process of drawing on a stone matrix with a greasy crayon. Look closely, and you'll see the subtle variations in tone, achieved by varying the pressure and density of the crayon. This image hints at the bustling activity of the market and waterfront. The lithographic process, while enabling relatively quick reproduction, still demanded skilled labor. The artist, the stone preparer, the printer - all contributed to the final image, a representation of Amsterdam's commercial life rendered through industrial means. Consider the contrast between the scene depicted - a traditional marketplace - and the modern technique used to reproduce it. The lithograph itself becomes a commodity, a representation of Amsterdam available for mass consumption. Appreciating the craft and social context behind this print allows us to question these conventional distinctions between art and industry.