Uniform van de officieren van de infanterie van het Limburgs Bondscontingent, 1845 1845

This print, made by Louis Salomon Leman in 1845, depicts the uniform of infantry officers of the Limburg Confederation. It’s rendered with lithography, a relatively new printing technique at the time. Lithography is a fascinating process. The artist draws on a stone or metal plate with a greasy crayon, then treats the surface so that ink adheres only to the drawn areas. This allows for detailed and nuanced images. Looking closely, you can see the subtle textures and shading achieved through this method. What’s interesting here is the contrast between the relatively mechanical process of lithography and the very handmade character of the uniform itself. Each garment would have been meticulously tailored, the metal ornamentation carefully crafted. The print, then, captures a moment where industrial production meets traditional craft, reflecting the changing landscape of labor and consumption in the 19th century. It encourages us to think about the many hands involved in producing both the image and the objects it represents.