Schip op de Nijl 1851 - 1880

Adolphe Mouilleron made this print of a boat on the Nile, using a process called lithography. It's a method that democratized image-making, because it's much easier than, say, engraving on copper. The result is a soft, almost hazy rendering, that captures the light and atmosphere of Egypt. But look closer, and you can see that lithography, for all its accessibility, is still labor-intensive. The artist would have had to grind and prepare the lithographic stone, draw the image in reverse with a greasy crayon, and then carefully print each impression. What's fascinating here is the way that Mouilleron's technique mirrors the scene he depicts. The boat itself is a product of skilled labor, from the carpentry of its hull to the weaving of its canopy. And in its way, this print is a monument to that effort, reminding us that even the most seemingly effortless images are born of human work. It blurs the line between art and craft.