Wolf opgejaagd door honden 1842 - 1846

Victor Adam made this lithograph, Wolf opgejaagd door honden, in the 19th century. Lithography is a printmaking process using a flat stone or metal plate on which the image areas are worked using a greasy substance so that the ink will adhere to them, while the non-image areas are made ink-repellent. The process of creating this lithograph involved skilled labor, from the initial drawing to the chemical treatments that prepared the stone for printing. The marks are not unlike those made by a draughtsman. Look closely, and you can see the artist's hand in the depiction of the wolf and dogs. Lithography allowed for the relatively quick and inexpensive reproduction of images, making art more accessible to a wider audience, which aligns with the rise of a middle class with cultural aspirations. The interplay of skill, material, and social context gives this work a value that extends beyond its aesthetic qualities. It invites us to reflect on the labor involved in its creation, and the broader implications of its dissemination in a rapidly changing society.