Siege of Corfu in February 1799 

Veniamin Kremer made this lithograph, Siege of Corfu in February 1799, using ink on paper. This printmaking technique allows for the creation of multiple impressions, a process deeply entwined with the rise of mass media and the dissemination of information. Looking closely, the stark contrast between the ink and paper emphasizes the scene's drama – warships looming against the backdrop of Corfu's fortifications. Lithography involves drawing on a stone or metal plate with a greasy crayon, then treating the surface so that ink adheres only to the drawn areas. Each print captures the artist's hand, but is multiplied for a wider audience. Kremer engages with printmaking's inherent connection to social and political narratives. The subject matter, a siege, speaks to the labor and politics of warfare, of manpower, strategy, and geopolitical ambition. With the multiple, Kremer's work would have acted as a historical record, a propaganda tool, or a means of shaping public opinion, illustrating how an artist could engage with the broader social context of his time through material and process.