Twee rijtuigen passeren elkaar 1827 - 1828

This print by Victor Adam captures a moment of Parisian street life. It was made using lithography, a process that democratized image-making in the 19th century. The sharp lines and subtle gradations of tone result from the artist's hand working directly on a stone matrix. Lithography allowed for relatively quick reproduction, meeting the growing demand for images in an increasingly print-saturated world. The scene reflects a society on the move, literally. Carriages, symbols of wealth and status, dominate the composition. Yet, the print itself, multiplied and distributed, made this elite world accessible to a broader audience. Consider the labor involved, from the quarrying of the lithographic stone to the press operators churning out impressions. Ultimately, this image invites us to think about the relationship between representation, reproduction, and the changing social fabric of 19th-century urban life. It’s a reminder that even seemingly straightforward images are deeply embedded in processes of production and consumption.