Bijbelsche geschiedenis / Nieuwe Testament 1869 - 1882

This page of illustrations, titled ‘New Testament,’ was made by Gerhardus Philippus Zalsman, probably in the late 19th century. The prints were made using lithography, a process that allows for relatively quick reproduction, and then hand-colored. Looking closely, the imagery is quite conventional, depicting scenes from the gospels. But consider the labor involved in making these prints affordable and accessible. There's the initial work of drawing the images, which could be seen as a fine art practice. But then, this design is translated into a repeatable format, suggestive of mass production. We see the tension between fine art and industrial manufacturing. Finally, someone had to sit and apply the color washes. That repetitive, skilled action might be considered craft, but it is really piecework. So this simple printed page really embodies the intertwined histories of art, craft, and labor under industrial capitalism.