Omslag voor een prentserie door Hermanus Jan Hendrik van Rijkelijkhuijsen met zes landschappen 1826 - 1880

This is a cover for a print series of six landscapes by Hermanus Jan Hendrik van Rijkelijkhuijsen, printed by Pieter Wilhelmus van de Weijer in Utrecht. It's made with letterpress and stone lithography, techniques born of the Industrial Revolution, which democratized image-making. The flat, slightly softened forms of the letters were created through the skillful labor of typesetters and printers, their work essential to the circulation of art and ideas. Look closely, and you can see the texture of the paper and the slight inconsistencies in the ink, traces of the manual processes involved. Lithography, in particular, demanded expertise in grinding stones, preparing inks, and operating the press. This division of labor, common in print shops, reflects the changing nature of work in the 19th century, and the rise of a new kind of skilled worker. Considering this cover, we see how deeply entwined art and industry truly are, blurring the lines between fine art and the everyday.