Storfyrsterne Alexander og Wladimir 1858 - 1884

Joel Ballin made this print, *Storfyrsterne Alexander og Wladimir*, using lithography. Lithography is a printing process that relies on the oily quality of certain drawing materials to repel ink from non-image areas. The flat, smooth surface shows little evidence of labor, despite the intensive work involved in its production. Ballin’s meticulous touch, translating a photograph into a print, mimics the exactitude of the photographic medium itself. The process would have started with the artist transferring a photographic image onto a lithographic stone or metal plate. Then, by applying an oil-based medium and treating the surface, ink adheres only to the desired areas. The print could then be reproduced multiple times. This relatively inexpensive means of reproduction allowed for the wide distribution of images, in this case, of royalty. The creation of images like this one played a role in shaping perceptions and solidifying social hierarchies during a time of vast industrial and economic change. By understanding how such images are produced, we come to appreciate their cultural power.