Interior of a Bus Possibly 1864 - 1920

Charles Maurand created this lithograph, "Interior of a Bus," using a printmaking process that allows for the ready reproduction of images. This was especially useful for political satire or social commentary, which often needed to reach a wide audience quickly. Lithography, unlike etching or engraving, relies on the chemical repulsion between grease and water. The artist draws with a greasy crayon on a smooth stone, and then the stone is treated so that ink adheres only to the drawn areas. The resulting prints, like this one, can have a soft, almost pencil-like quality, capturing the nuances of light and shadow. The technique democratized image-making, which until then was a specialized skill. Here, the artist makes use of lithography's accessibility to comment on the shared experience of public transport, and perhaps the social strata contained within it. Through an understanding of material and process, we can better appreciate how Maurand used printmaking to engage with the social realities of his time.