Portret van Joseph Cramer 1894

Jan Veth created this portrait of Joseph Cramer using lithography, a printmaking technique that relies on the careful manipulation of oil and water. The image is built from countless tiny strokes, each laid down with precision. Look closely, and you'll see how Veth coaxes depth and form from a seemingly simple medium. Lithography, unlike engraving, allows for a more tonal, painterly effect. But this quality belies the amount of labor involved. Consider the social context: prints like these made art accessible to a wider audience, and were tied to the growth of a media industry. While we might think of "original" art as being superior, prints had their own kind of power. The artistry lies not just in the image, but in the skilled labor and the democratization of art it represents. It prompts us to question the value we place on different forms of artistic production.