Beekeeper 

Ceri Richards made this print, Beekeeper, using lithography, a process that democratized image-making in the 20th 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’s fragmented composition, rendered in shades of yellow and black, shimmers and vibrates. Richards clearly relished the way lithography allowed him to build up layers of tone and texture. The technique is well-suited to his fractured, Cubist-inspired aesthetic. Look closely, and you'll see the marks of the artist's hand everywhere – the grain of the crayon, the subtle variations in ink density. This reminds us that even in a mechanically reproduced image, the human touch remains present. Richards bridges the gap between high art and the graphic arts. By embracing lithography, he created works that were both visually compelling and accessible to a wider audience.