Portret van generaal J.B. Camozzi 1816 - 1862

Roberto Focosi created this portrait of General J.B. Camozzi, rendered in lithograph, a printmaking technique predicated on the flat, smooth surface of the lithographic stone. Consider the sharp detail Focosi achieves here. Lithography’s capacity to render minute detail allows the general’s ornamented uniform, with its densely embroidered decorations and heavy fringed epaulettes, to come to life on the page. Lithography depended on specialized labor, from the quarrying of the stones to the drawing and printing processes themselves. The success of the final print relied on the division of tasks and specialized knowledge. This highly reproducible method democratized image-making, allowing for the relatively inexpensive dissemination of portraits and other images. Lithography thus contributed to the rise of mass culture and visual communication in the 19th century. When we examine this lithograph, we recognize not only the skill of the artist but also the collaborative nature of printmaking and its vital role in shaping visual culture. It encourages us to think about how materials, techniques, and social context all intertwine to create meaning.