Gezicht op de Nederrijn vanaf het Hotel Bellevue in Arnhem 1827 - 1873

Hendrik Wilhelmus Last made this lithograph of the Lower Rhine from the Hotel Bellevue in Arnhem, using a process that was then quite modern. Lithography allowed for relatively quick and inexpensive reproduction, and this image is further enhanced by hand-applied color. Look closely, and you'll see how this combination of print and paint results in a scene that is both carefully delineated and softly atmospheric. The materiality here is crucial: lithography, unlike traditional etching or engraving, relies on the chemical repulsion of oil and water. This gives the printed line a distinctive, slightly grainy quality, visible here. The added color then softens this effect, adding a layer of picturesque charm. The scene itself offers a glimpse into the leisure activities of the rising middle class. The artist has given us a vivid picture of a society enjoying the fruits of increasing industrialization, even as the smoke from a distant factory hints at the labor that makes such leisure possible. It reminds us that even the most apparently straightforward images are the product of complex social and technological processes.