Vaandel v. de Vrijw: Jagers der H. school te Leyden 1835 - 1850

Albertus Verhoesen made this print of the 'Vaandel v. de Vrijw: Jagers der H. school te Leyden' using lithography. Here, the traditional artistic process of drawing is merged with a mechanical form of reproduction. Lithography allowed Verhoesen to create multiple copies of his artwork with a distinctly handmade quality, different from the slickness of industrial printing. The stone would have been carefully prepared, the image drawn with a greasy crayon, and then chemically treated so that ink only adhered to the drawn areas. This image may be small, but it reflects larger social currents of its time. It captures a moment of transition, where handcraft and industrial production began to intertwine. By considering the material and processes behind it, we gain a richer understanding of its cultural significance.