Portret van de revolutionair Marc Caussidière 1830 - 1861

This is Auguste Bry's portrait of the revolutionary Marc Caussidière, made using lithography, a printmaking technique. The design is drawn with a greasy crayon onto a flat slab of limestone, which is then treated to accept ink only where the crayon has marked. Notice how the texture created by the lithographic crayon gives a soft, almost smoky quality to the image. This was a relatively new technology in the 19th century, allowing for a wider distribution of images than traditional engraving. Lithography democratized the image, making it more accessible to a broader public. The marks of labor are subtle, yet present. The artist's hand is evident in the delicate rendering of Caussidière's features and clothing, while the printing process itself implies a workshop, with artisans reproducing the image for mass consumption. In this way, lithography embodies the changing dynamics of art, labor, and politics in the modern era. It’s a potent reminder that even the most seemingly straightforward portrait is embedded in a web of social and economic relations.