Koninklijk Paleis op de Dam in Amsterdam 1835 - 1904

Willem Hekking jr. made this representation of the Koninklijk Paleis in Amsterdam as an oleograph, a type of chromolithography, sometime in the mid-19th century. This printmaking technique allowed for the relatively inexpensive production of color images. The oleograph imitates the appearance of an oil painting, by layering multiple colors and adding texture to the surface. Looking closely, you can see how the gradations of light and shadow are achieved with subtle variations in ink. The architecture of the palace is carefully rendered to display the grandeur and elegance of the building. Oleographs like this one democratized access to art by offering affordable reproductions of paintings. They served as a form of visual communication, circulating images of architecture and culture widely. This print gives us a glimpse into the way that printmaking connected with industrial production to disseminate images in a rapidly changing world. It makes you consider the labor involved in its creation, and the market for images in 19th-century Amsterdam.