What Is a Lithographic Print?
A lithographic print is a copy made by the process of lithography. In lithography, a drawing is made on a smooth stone or metal surface by a water-resisting medium such as oil crayon. When ink and water are applied to the surface, the water is repelled by the image, while the ink is absorbed. A paper is pressed against the inked surface to transfer the image.The process allows for higher volume print runs with more detailed images.
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Origins
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Lithography was invented by Johann Alois Senefelder just before the turn of the 19th century. The process was refined by Godefroy Engelmann in Paris a couple decades later, in time for French artists such as Delacroix to embrace the new printmaking technique.
Famous Ties
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Artists who have used the technique include Toulouse-Lautrec, Manet, Degas and Odilon Redon.
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Color Lithography
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To accomplish color lithography, the artist must create a separate drawing for each color, and the paper pressed on each color separately to overprint it.
Offset Lithography
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When a paper is laid atop the inked lithographic plate, a mirror image of the drawing is transferred. Offset printing transfers the image to another surface first, then to the paper, making a mirror of the mirror. In other words, a reproduction of the original.
Etymology
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Lithograph comes from the Greek roots "lithos"--stone--and "graph"--write. The lithos part arises from limestone, which was the original material used in the process.
Limited Editions
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Lithographic prints are typically issued in limited editions by artists, usually 1,000 prints or less. Each is usually numbered with a notation that lists the number of the print followed by the total of prints created, for example, 546 out of 750, or 546/750.
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