Bakker blaast op een hoorn 1825 - 1835

Jean-Baptiste Madou’s print, titled 'Bakker blaast op een hoorn,' or 'Baker blowing a horn' was made using lithography. This printmaking process involves drawing on a stone or metal plate with a greasy substance, then applying ink which adheres only to the drawn areas. The nature of lithography, with its reliance on transferring an image from one surface to another, suggests the world of labor and distribution. We see a baker, caught in a moment of apparent leisure, but still defined by his tools: the oven behind him, the barrel beside him, and his work clothes. The print is an intimate view into the life of a tradesman, perhaps intended for middle-class consumers of prints. The medium is key to the message here. Lithography allowed for relatively quick and inexpensive reproduction, making images like these accessible to a broad audience. It collapses the distance between high art and the everyday experience of labor. The artist invites us to reflect on the social and economic realities that underpin even the simplest act, like buying a loaf of bread.