Gezicht op buitenplaats Wildhoef in Bloemendaal 1837 - 1844

This print is a depiction of the Wildhoef estate in Bloemendaal, made by Petrus Josephus Lutgers. It’s a lithograph, which means it was made by drawing on a flat stone with a greasy crayon, then treating the stone so that ink adheres only to the drawn areas. What I find fascinating is how this technique translates into an image. Look closely, and you’ll see that every tone, from the lightest sky to the darkest shadows beneath the trees, is made up of tiny dots. Lithography allowed for relatively easy reproduction, making images like this accessible to a wide audience. But there’s a tension here. The subject is an idyllic country estate, a symbol of wealth and privilege. The print, however, democratizes that image, making it available for mass consumption. This contrast between the subject and the means of production offers a glimpse into the changing social landscape of the time, where images of the elite were becoming increasingly accessible to all.