Portret van Nicolas Brémontier 1819 - 1843

Ephraïm Conquy made this portrait of Nicolas Brémontier using lithography, a printmaking technique that democratized image production in the 19th century. Lithography involves drawing on a flat stone or metal plate with a greasy crayon, then treating the surface so that ink adheres only to the drawn areas. This print captures the texture and tonal range of a drawing with remarkable fidelity. Consider the labor involved: from quarrying and preparing the lithographic stone, to the skilled hand of the artist rendering Brémontier's likeness, to the printing process itself. Lithography enabled the mass production of images, fueling a visual culture tied to consumerism and political discourse. By focusing on the materials and processes behind this portrait, we can appreciate how printmaking technologies transformed artistic practices and reshaped social life. It challenges the traditional hierarchy between original art and mass production.