Modern technology: Lithography

Modern technology has enabled new methods of printmaking. Lithography was actually created by a man looking for an inexpensive way to reproduce his plays. He learned that by drawing with a greasy crayon, or tusche, on a stone, then wetting the stone, ink would stick to the drawing but not the stone. Therefore, the drawing could be inked and printed over and over. Better yet, the drawing could be wiped away and the stone reused—a very cost-effective way to print! To make a color lithograph, the process would be repeated for each desired color.

This method became popular with many artists because it allowed them the ability to be creative and spontaneous, drawing directly on the stone. One artist, Honore Daumier, found this medium to be perfect for his political cartoons, such as the one below, which makes reference to the French king and his greed.