Allegorische voorstelling met drie vrouwen in een tuin 1894

Jan Toorop made this allegorical print of three women in a garden, and while the date is unknown, the materials tell us quite a bit about the context of its making. The print is made from paper, using a lithographic crayon and tusche. It shows three women in a garden in an illustrative style. The lithographic process allowed the artist to produce multiple copies of an original image, and this one in particular, shows a unique aesthetic with delicate lines. Toorop, like many artists of his time, was working in a period where printmaking had become increasingly industrialized. The lithograph allowed artists to take advantage of new commercial markets, and make their work more widely available. However, the handmade quality of the print, with its subtle gradations of tone and delicate lines, also speaks to a desire to retain a sense of artistic control and individuality. In this way, the print reflects the tensions between art, craft, and industry that were central to the cultural landscape of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.