Gezicht van het Hertenkamp bij Hotel Bellevue en Bezuidenhout 1831 - 1873

Hendrik Wilhelmus Last created this lithograph depicting a view of the Hertenkamp at Hotel Bellevue en Bezuidenhout. Lithography, a printmaking process, relies on the chemical repulsion of oil and water. The artist likely drew the image with a greasy crayon onto a smooth stone or metal plate. This area attracts ink, while the rest of the surface, dampened with water, repels it. The print could then be made by pressing paper against the inked surface. The lithograph’s success depended on the skilled labor involved in quarrying and preparing the limestone block, as well as the artist's adept use of drawing techniques to capture the scene. The softness of the lithographic crayon allowed the artist to create the gradations of light and shadow we see here. This print situates itself within a broader context of rapidly developing print culture, where images became more accessible through industrialized processes. Appreciating Last’s lithograph invites us to consider the labour involved in its production, and the wider social context of 19th-century printmaking.