Sleutel met de namen van de afgevaardigden op het Congres van Wenen, 1814-1815 1833 - 1872

This print was made by Bernhard J. Dondorf, the German printer and publisher. The material is paper, and the process is lithography - a method that democratized the distribution of images in the 19th century. Lithography allowed for relatively quick reproduction; it’s essentially a chemical process, using the resistence of grease and water to transfer an image from a stone or metal plate to paper. Here, it represents a delegation at the Congress of Vienna. Each member is depicted with the utmost precision, using the lithographic process, and then labeled with the name. It is this very process that has imbued the print with social and cultural significance. Lithography was key to the mass media of its day, helping to shape public opinion and political discourse. It helped promote new political formations, but also new markets for imagery. This print reminds us that even seemingly straightforward images are the product of specific materials, making processes, and social contexts. It challenges us to consider the relationship between art, technology, and the wider world.