Lithograph

Lithography is a printing technique with a history dating back more than two centuries. The Japanese term for lithograph, sekiban-ga, literally translates to “stone plate picture.” As this term suggests, the medium originated as a technique to transfer images drawn on stones onto paper. Lithography began to be used as an industrial technique because it allows images to be reproduced more easily than etching (copperplate engraving), which requires a high level of skill from the artist. Starting in the 19th century, artists like Edgar Degas (1834–1917) began to explore the medium, working with printmakers to produce unique prints that were only possible with this technique. These prints gradually came to be recognized as works of art.

In modern printing, the original artwork is photographed or scanned to create a plate for printing, but in lithography, the artist draws the image directly on the plate. Nowadays, artists often draw on metal plates instead of stone ones, but the practice of drawing images directly on the plate remains unchanged. The images are made with lithographic pencils or chalk and transferred to paper, and because of this drawing technique, they have the same texture as artwork that has been drawn directly on paper.

These works were made with lithographic pencils and chalk, and the lines drawn by the artist are faithfully rendered. Once drawn, lines cannot be removed with an eraser or anything else. As such, the artists move their hands with a sense of pressure. However, this allows us to feel the boldness of slowly drawn lines, the precision and comfort of the faster ones, and the rhythm of the rough shadows.