Portret van August Michiels 1831 - 1890

Jean Baptiste Pierre Michiels created this portrait of August Michiels using lithography, a printmaking process, on paper. Lithography relies on the contrast between oily and water-based substances. The artist draws an image on a stone or metal plate with a greasy crayon, then applies water, which adheres only to the non-greasy areas. When oily ink is rolled over the surface, it sticks only to the drawn image, which is then transferred to paper. This method allowed for relatively quick reproduction of images and text, making information and art more accessible to a wider audience. The lithographic process also facilitated a new kind of skilled labor that was neither strictly artistic nor industrial, representing the changing landscape of work in the 19th century. This detailed print exemplifies how new techniques democratized image-making. By understanding the materials and the methods of production, we appreciate not just the artwork itself, but its role in broader social and economic shifts.