Gelders paard

Gijsbertus Craeyvanger made this lithograph of a Gelderlander horse at an unknown date, using a stone matrix and greasy crayons. Lithography, invented in the late 18th century, was a relatively democratic printing technique that was embraced by artists in the 19th century. Here, the medium lends itself well to depicting the soft musculature of the horse, the subtle gradations of light in the sky, and the reflections in the water. Look closely at the fine, almost velvety texture of the print. This was achieved by applying the crayon in a series of delicate strokes, and then carefully transferring the image to paper. The Gelderlander horse was a common working animal in the Netherlands, and the print reflects the increasing interest in rural life and agricultural labor that emerged during the 19th century. Craeyvanger's choice of lithography, a technique that allowed for relatively quick and inexpensive reproduction, suggests a desire to make his work accessible to a wider audience. This speaks to a shift in the art world, where the traditional hierarchy between fine art and the applied arts was beginning to break down.