Man met glas en pijp naast vat 1818 - 1876

Carel Christiaan Antony Last created this print, "Man met glas en pijp naast vat," using lithography, a printmaking process that relies on the chemical repulsion of oil and water. Here, the artist has used a specific type of lithography: stone lithography. The image would have been drawn with a greasy crayon onto a smooth slab of limestone. This is then treated with a chemical etch, allowing ink to adhere only to the drawn areas. When pressed to paper, the image transfers, creating the print we see. Look closely, and you’ll notice that the man’s hat, coat, and even the barrel he leans on are rendered with subtle gradations of tone. This is achieved through careful control of pressure and the amount of grease applied to the stone. The surrounding border, with its playful details, also testifies to Last’s mastery of the technique. Lithography democratized image-making, offering a relatively inexpensive way to reproduce artwork and illustrations. By understanding this technique, we can see how Last engaged with both artistic tradition and the burgeoning print culture of his time, blurring the lines between fine art and commercial reproduction.