Joppentoren in Dordrecht 1872

Carel Frederik Bendorp made this drawing of the Joppentoren in Dordrecht in 1836. It's a lithograph, a printmaking process where an image is drawn on a stone or metal plate with a greasy substance, then printed. The lithograph has a softness to it, reminiscent of pencil or charcoal drawings. Look closely and you can see that Bendorp used a full range of tones to capture the texture of the stone and brickwork of the building. Also notice the surface of the water, which is indicated by very fine, densely layered marks. The lithographic technique, invented in the late 18th century, allowed for the relatively quick and inexpensive reproduction of images. This made art more accessible, contributing to a boom in printed imagery and changing our relationship to visual culture. So, while Bendorp's subject matter is an old building, the print itself reflects a modern sensibility and the rise of industrial production.