GVM x Archive: Found & Framed

What is a Lithograph? 
Lithography is a form of printmaking that is based on the chemical principle that grease and water repel each other.  This technique uses a planographic method, printing from a flat surface rather than raised. To actually create the print, an image is drawn with a greasy substance, such as oil, fat, or wax onto the surface of a smooth and flat limestone plate. The stone was then treated with a mixture of weak acid and gum arabic ("etch") that made the parts of the stone's surface that were not protected by the grease more hydrophilic (water attracting). For printing, the stone was first moistened. The water adhered only to the etched, hydrophilic areas, making them even more oil-repellant. An oil-based ink was then applied, and would stick only to the original drawing. The ink would finally be transferred to a blank sheet of paper, producing a printed page.  This process is then repeated for each color represented in the image to create an exact replica of the original.  As many as ten to twenty colors are lithographed in order to reproduce every nuance and subtlety characterizing the original work.  Though it may seem like a tedious process, this technique made fine art more accessible to everyday people.  

The History of Lithography 
The process of lithography was first invented in 1796 by German author and actor Alois Sensefelder (1771-1834).  Driven by the exorbitant cost of printing his plays, Sensefelder took it upon himself to create a faster and more cost effective way to print.  He took his invention to the Andre Family of Music publishers where he perfected the technique.  Lithography proved to be the perfect process for printing sheet music and maps, a more pressing need than to recreate something like art.  

In the 1820s, the process was simplified and soon adopted by artists like Delacroix and Gercault. London became an epicenter for the use of lithography by artists, but its commercial use was still the main draw.  Even though the initial enthusiasm had somewhat diminished, by the 1870s a revival was underway and many famous artists, including Degas, created much of their work in this manner. 
As the 1890s emerged, color lithography gained success in part by the work of Jules Chéret, known as the father of the modern poster, whose work went on to inspire a new generation of poster designers and painters. Former student of Chéret, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, gained popularity from his colorful posters depicting gaudy nightlife, namely at the Moulin Rouge. 

By the 20th century, a group of famous artists including Chagall, Matisse, Miro, and Picasso rediscovered the largely undeveloped art form of lithography. With the help of Fernand Mourlot, grandson of the founder of The Atelier Mourlot, artists were invited to explore fine art printing.  Mourlot encouraged the painters to work directly on lithographic stones in order to create original artworks that could then be executed under the direction of master printers in small editions. The combination of modern artist and master printer resulted in lithographs that were used as posters to promote the artists' work.  Not only did it allow artists to reach a broader audience, it made the world of fine art accessible to middle and lower classes.  
The process of lithography is still very popular with artists today, but its presence in commercial printing is integral.  High-volume lithography is used to produce posters, maps, books, newspapers, and packaging. In modern commercial lithography, the image is transferred or created as a patterned polymer coating applied to a flexible plastic or metal plate.  A popular version of the process, called "offset lithography", is an elaboration of lithography in which the ink is transferred from the plate to the paper indirectly by means of a rubber plate or cylinder, rather than by direct contact.