Gezicht op de Aalmarkt te Leiden 1854

This delicate cityscape of the Aalmarkt in Leiden was created by Gerardus Johannes Bos in the 19th century using lithography, a printmaking technique that exploits the natural properties of oil and water. The image begins as a drawing, but is then transferred to stone, and printed. The key to the process lies in the artist's hand, and their ability to describe texture, light and shadow through line. The effect is fascinating: a seemingly direct transcription of reality that is in fact the product of immense skill and labor. Bos was not only an accomplished artist, but also an entrepreneurial one. Printmaking made images available to a broad public at an affordable price. He captured the spirit of a bustling, commercial city. Looking at this print, you can appreciate not only Bos' artistic skill, but also the wider social and economic context of 19th-century Holland. It exemplifies how an artwork reflects the labor, politics, and patterns of consumption of its time, blurring boundaries between fine art and craft.