Portret van Tsaar Peter de Grote 1837 - 1840

Carel Christiaan Antony Last made this portrait of Tsar Peter the Great using lithography, a printmaking process that allows for incredibly fine detail. The image is built up through layers of ink applied to a flat stone or metal plate. The artist exploits the naturally greasy quality of the lithographic crayon to create an image that’s then chemically fixed to the surface. It's a process that bridges drawing and printing, and was particularly well-suited to portraiture, allowing for the reproduction of subtle tonal gradations that convey the texture of skin, hair, and fabric. Consider the social context of this work: lithography emerged as a relatively inexpensive and efficient method for mass-producing images, making portraits like this accessible to a wider audience than traditional painted portraits. The labor involved shifted from individual craftsmanship to a more industrialized process, reflecting the changing landscape of art production and consumption in the 19th century. The choice of lithography speaks to a desire to democratize art, challenging traditional hierarchies between original and reproduction, craft and fine art.