Winterkoning stijgt op van de rug van de arend 1892

Theo van Hoytema made this lithograph titled 'Winterkoning stijgt op van de rug van de arend' without a specific date using lithographic ink on paper. The flat surface of the lithograph allows for a direct, almost childlike, quality in the drawing. The process begins with a smooth stone, which is drawn on with a greasy crayon. Water adheres to the bare stone, while the greasy image repels it. When ink is rolled over the surface, it sticks only to the crayon marks, allowing the image to be printed. Notice how van Hoytema has used this technique to give us a real sense of the bird's lightness as it lifts from the eagle's back. The softness of the lithographic crayon gives the image a dreamlike, almost ephemeral quality. It is the directness and simplicity of lithography that gives the artwork its charm. It demonstrates how even the most modest of materials can become a vehicle for artistic expression.