Portret van paus Pius VIII 1829

Louis Boulanger made this portrait of Pope Pius VIII, but not with paint on canvas. Instead, it's a lithograph - a print made using a flat stone or metal plate. Lithography, which was developed at the turn of the 19th century, allowed for the relatively quick reproduction of images. The process involves drawing on the stone with a greasy crayon, then treating the surface so that ink only sticks to the drawn areas. The image is then transferred to paper. The stark contrasts in Boulanger's print are achieved through careful layering of ink. Look closely, and you can see how the texture of the stone itself adds depth to the image. This mechanical means of production allowed the image of Pope Pius VIII to circulate widely, but don't mistake it for mere reproduction. Lithography, with its own distinct aesthetic qualities, occupies a unique place at the intersection of art, craft, and industry.