Portret van Lodewijk XVIII van Frankrijk c. 1824

This portrait of Louis XVIII of France was made by Zéphirin Belliard using the technique of lithography. Unlike painting or sculpture, lithography is a printmaking process, which relies on the skilled labour of the artist to transfer an image onto a stone or metal plate. The image would be drawn onto the surface with a greasy crayon or ink. Then, the plate is treated so that ink only adheres to the drawn areas. The printmaker can then produce multiple impressions of the original image. Lithography allowed for a democratization of portraiture, making images of the elite more accessible to a wider audience. The texture and tonality seen here are a direct result of the lithographic process. The subtle gradations of light and shadow suggest the artist's mastery of the medium, coaxing a range of effects from a relatively simple process. This portrait thus speaks to both the power of the monarchy and the rise of industrial modes of production, blurring the lines between fine art and reproductive craft.