American Hunting Scenes - 'An Early Start' 

'An Early Start' was made in the late 19th century by Currier and Ives, using lithography, a printmaking technique involving a flat stone or metal plate. Lithography allowed for mass production of images, turning art into a commodity. Here, we see a hunting scene, likely intended for a middle-class audience aspiring to a certain lifestyle. The print's very production, made possible by industrial processes, speaks to the changing relationship between art and commerce. The image romanticizes a rugged, outdoor life, yet it's brought to us through decidedly modern, commercial means. Notice the detail, achieved not through the hand of a painter, but through the mechanical precision of printmaking. The texture of the trees, the ripples on the water, all rendered with a level of detail that speaks to the skill involved in lithographic reproduction. Currier and Ives were masters of their craft, blurring the lines between art and industry, and reflecting America's own evolving identity in the process.