Lithography

Lithography (from Greek lythos – ‘stone’ and grapho – ‘to draw’) is a printmaking method using a stone with a smooth surface; normally it is considered a variety of engraving (although it does not employ engraving methods).

The name explains the method – in translation from Greek, it means “I draw on a stone”. Because the method does not involve any sort of cutting and the printing matrix is smooth, lithography is classified as a variety of planographic printing. The process involves the drawing of a pattern, with a special grease-based crayon, pen or brush, on a carefully polished stone, of a special limestone variety of pale bluish, yellowish or grey tone. Then the surface of the stone is coated with a solution of gum arabic or nitric acid, which does not bite into the lines of the drawing because grease is resistant to acid. Then the lithographer applies to the moistened stone a greasy printing ink, which sticks only along the lines of the pattern and does not affect the bitten areas of the stone. Next, the stone is secured on the press and an impression is pulled.

Lithographs which an artist executes from scratch all by himself, without engaging a printer, are called original lithograpy, original prints or autolithographs (from Greek autos – ‘by oneself, independently’). The end of the 19th century saw the arrival of colour lithography – chromolithography (from Greek chromos – ‘colour’) using several stones or plates (in other words, the effect of blended colours is achieved by printing three primary colours one over another).

Lithography is one of the most common printing techniques. It was invented nearly by accident, in 1796, by an actor, playwright and musician from Bohemia Alois Senefelder, when he searched for a quick and cheap method for printing music scores. Once he wrote down the amount of money he owed to a laundress with a grease-based ink on a stone and suddenly discovered that impressions could be made from that inscription. He milked the discovery for all its worth, opening a printing shop in Munich in 1806 and publishing a guide-book on lithography in 1818. After that, lithography swept the market of book publishing and illustration printing, stealing the leadership from xylography. Another reason behind its popularity lied in the long-felt need for a printing method that would best of all create the effect of pencilled stroke and dash of the brush, but most importantly, would remove engravers from the process, enabling the artists to execute prints all by themselves. By the way, this explains why lithography gained such a wide acceptance in the 19th century in book printing in Muslim countries, where non-manual technical reproduction of the Holy Qur'an was forbidden.

Lithography afforded to artists a complete freedom, but not without risks, such as the danger of losing its unique graphic qualities and beginning to look like a drawing made by an ordinary pencil, sanguine, water-colour, etc. Linearity and crisp contours are not suited for lithography, because the beauty and charm of this technique consist in the rough, velvety strokes, the shades of darker or lighter tone, airy intricacy of space. It was the lightness of drawing that made lithography very popular among printers of posters, fashion pictures, magazine illustrations, leaflets. And thanks to its expressiveness, lithography endeared itself to French and English Romanticists, Barbizon artists, Impressionists and Symbolists of the late 19th century.

In the first half of the 19th century lithography attracted the attention of Russian portrait and landscape artists, such as Orest Kiprensky, Alexey Venetsianov, Karl Briullov. A little later, in the second half of the 19th century, lithography started to be used for printing genre scenes, satirical pictures, caricatures and book illustrations. Also, lithography techniques were used up by several prominent artists, such as Ivan Shishkin in his landscapes, Ilya Repin in his genre scenes, Valentin Serov in his portraits. Whereas in the first half and the middle of the 19th century lithography was regarded first of all as a convenient printing method, beginning from the 1900s lithography was taken up as an art form – artists sought to employ its artistic potential without using it simply as a technique mimicking the media such as pencil, sanguine, coal, etc. The artists successfully exploring lithography as an art included members of the Mir iskusstva [“World of Art”] group such as Alexandre Benois, Anna Ostroumova-Lebedeva, Mikhail Dobuzhinsky, Pavel Kuznetsov.

With the arrival of avant-garde, in the 1910s, lithography was widely used for publishing the collections of Cubofuturist poets. Books illustrated with lithographs by prominent avant-garde artists such as Aristarkh Lentulov, Natalia Goncharova, Olga Rozanova, Mikhail Larionov were immensely popular.

In the Soviet period, some prominent artists too took up lithography. This group included outstanding graphic artists such as Vladimir Lebedev, Nikolay Tyrsa, Nikolay Kupreyanov, Yevgeny Charushin, Konstantin Rudakov, Yevgeny Kibrik, Anatoly Kaplan and others. Experimental lithography workshops afforded rich opportunities for the development and improvement of the techniques.

In the second half of the 20th century lithography became popular among the Soviet unofficial artists belonging to the “second Russian avant-garde wave” – the conceptualists such as Mikhail Grobman, Igor Makarevich, Dmitry Plavinsky, Mikhail Chemiakin and many others.


Prints

All prints in this technique
  • CoverCover
    Benois A. N.
  • View from the Attic Windows of the PalaceView from the Attic…
    Benois A. N.
  • View towards the Grand Canal from the Esplanade of the Palace View towards the Gr…
    Benois A. N.
  • Neptune PoolNeptune Pool
    Benois A. N.
  • Parterre d `eau in May EveningParterre d `eau in …
    Benois A. N.
  • Latona. May RainLatona. May Rain
    Benois A. N.
  • Downhill at «Parterre du Nord»Downhill at «Parter…
    Benois A. N.
  • Grotto of ApolloGrotto of Apollo
    Benois A. N.
  • «Parterre d`eau»«Parterre d`eau»
    Benois A. N.
  • «Parterre d`eau»«Parterre d`eau»
    Benois A. N.
  • One of the pools of Parterre du Nord. One of the pools of…
    Benois A. N.
  • Downhill at Parterre du NordDownhill at Parterr…
    Benois A. N.
  • Pyramid in the SummerPyramid in the Summer
    Benois A. N.
  • View of the Palace from Parterre d `eau.View of the Palace …
    Benois A. N.
  • Downhill to the Road in Saint-CyrDownhill to the Roa…
    Benois A. N.
  • Autumn day at the Pool of ApolloAutumn day at the P…
    Benois A. N.
  • Parterre d `eau. NovemberParterre d `eau. No…
    Benois A. N.
  • Carrefour des Philosophes in WinterCarrefour des Philo…
    Benois A. N.
  • Venus. Winter Evening.Venus. Winter Eveni…
    Benois A. N.
  • Stairway to the Terrace of the PalaceStairway to the Ter…
    Benois A. N.
  • Parterre d `eau. Winter EveningParterre d `eau. Wi…
    Benois A. N.
  • Parterre d `eau Covered with Snow.Parterre d `eau Cov…
    Benois A. N.
  • The Pyramid Covered with SnowThe Pyramid Covered…
    Benois A. N.
  • Bassin des marmousets in WinterBassin des marmouse…
    Benois A. N.
  • Fountain of Bacchus in WinterFountain of Bacchus…
    Benois A. N.
  • View of the Palace from the Road to Saint-CyrView of the Palace …
    Benois A. N.
  • View of CurtiusView of Curtius
    Benois A. N.
  • St. PetersburgSt. Petersburg's la…
    Vereisky G. S.
  • Trees by the lakeTrees by the lake
    Vereisky G. S.
  • St. George the Victorious. St. George the Vict…
    Goncharova N. S.
  • White EagleWhite Eagle
    Goncharova N. S.
  • English Lion.English Lion.
    Goncharova N. S.
  • French (Gallic) Rooster.French (Gallic) Roo…
    Goncharova N. S.
  • The Woman on the BeastThe Woman on the Be…
    Goncharova N. S.
  • Peresvet and OslabyaPeresvet and Oslabya
    Goncharova N. S.
  • The Archangel MichaelThe Archangel Michael
    Goncharova N. S.
  • ApparitionApparition
    Goncharova N. S.
  • Christ-loving ArmyChrist-loving Army
    Goncharova N. S.
  • Angels and airplanesAngels and airplanes
    Goncharova N. S.
  • Doomed CityDoomed City
    Goncharova N. S.
  • Pale HorsePale Horse
    Goncharova N. S.
  • Mass GraveMass Grave
    Goncharova N. S.
  • Alexander NevskyAlexander Nevsky
    Goncharova N. S.
  • Trees. Illustration.Trees. Illustration.
    Goncharova N. S.
  • Two old men. Illustration.Two old men. Illust…
    Goncharova N. S.
  • Old man on a Bull. Illustration.Old man on a Bull. …
    Goncharova N. S.
  • Hermitess. Illustration.Hermitess. Illustra…
    Goncharova N. S.
  • Dancing Hermitess. Illustration.Dancing Hermitess. …
    Goncharova N. S.
  • Churilin T. Vesna posle smerti [“Spring after Death.”] Collection of poems. Cover.Churilin T. Vesna p…
    Goncharova N. S.
  • Churilin T. Vesna posle smerti [“Spring after Death.”] Collection of poems.Illustration.Churilin T. Vesna p…
    Goncharova N. S.
  • Churilin T. Vesna posle smerti [“Spring after Death.”] Collection of poems.Churilin T. Vesna p…
    Goncharova N. S.
  • Churilin T. Vesna posle smerti [“Spring after Death.”] Collection of poems.Illustration.Churilin T. Vesna p…
    Goncharova N. S.
  • Churilin T. Vesna posle smerti [“Spring after Death.”] Collection of poems.Illustration.Churilin T. Vesna p…
    Goncharova N. S.
  • Churilin T. Vesna posle smerti [“Spring after Death.”] Collection of poems.Illustration.Churilin T. Vesna p…
    Goncharova N. S.
  • Churilin T. Vesna posle smerti [“Spring after Death.”] Collection of poems.Illustration.Churilin T. Vesna p…
    Goncharova N. S.
  • Churilin T. Vesna posle smerti [“Spring after Death.”] Collection of poems.Illustration.Churilin T. Vesna p…
    Goncharova N. S.
  • St.Isaac’s [Cathedral] in SnowstormSt.Isaac’s [Cathedr…
    Dobuzhinsky M. V.
  • Peter’s MonumentPeter’s Monument
    Dobuzhinsky M. V.
  • Lviny [Lions] BridgeLviny [Lions] Bridge
    Dobuzhinsky M. V.
  • DredgerDredger
    Dobuzhinsky M. V.
  • SphinxesSphinxes
    Dobuzhinsky M. V.
  • The Angliyskaya [English] Embankment in the SnowThe Angliyskaya [En…
    Dobuzhinsky M. V.
  • Summer Garden in winterSummer Garden in wi…
    Dobuzhinsky M. V.
  • District CourtDistrict Court
    Dobuzhinsky M. V.
  • Vacant Lot on Vassilievsky IslandVacant Lot on Vassi…
    Dobuzhinsky M. V.
  • Pryazhka EmbankmentPryazhka Embankment
    Dobuzhinsky M. V.
  • Garden on Obvodnoi ChannelGarden on Obvodnoi …
    Dobuzhinsky M. V.
  • Peter and Paul FortressPeter and Paul Fort…
    Dobuzhinsky M. V.

  • Rozanova O. V.

  • Rozanova O. V.

  • Rozanova O. V.

  • Rozanova O. V.

  • Rozanova O. V.
  • A Man selling FlatbreadA Man selling Flatb…
    Kuznetsov P. V.
  • Ox-driverOx-driver
    Kuznetsov P. V.
  • Women Selling Melons Women Selling Melons
    Kuznetsov P. V.
  • Centre of the TownCentre of the Town
    Kuznetsov P. V.
  • MusicianMusician
    Kuznetsov P. V.
  • A TownA Town
    Kuznetsov P. V.
  • A BoyA Boy
    Kuznetsov P. V.
  • CamelsCamels
    Kuznetsov P. V.
  • FeastFeast
    Kuznetsov P. V.
  • MusicianMusician
    Kuznetsov P. V.
  • StudentsStudents
    Kuznetsov P. V.
  • Pears HarvestPears Harvest
    Kuznetsov P. V.
  • Cattle Drivers with MulesCattle Drivers with…
    Kuznetsov P. V.
  • Dairymaid with GoatsDairymaid with Goats
    Kuznetsov P. V.
  • Circus. Horsewomen. Hamburg.Circus. Horsewomen.…
    Kupreyanov N. N.
  • Horsewomen in the Arena. Hamburg.Horsewomen in the A…
    Kupreyanov N. N.
  • In the Pub. Munich.In the Pub. Munich.
    Kupreyanov N. N.
  • Pub. Leipzig.Pub. Leipzig.
    Kupreyanov N. N.
  • Foxtrot. HamburgFoxtrot. Hamburg
    Kupreyanov N. N.
  • In the Pub. Munich.In the Pub. Munich.
    Kupreyanov N. N.
  • In the Restaurant. MunichIn the Restaurant. …
    Kupreyanov N. N.
  • Exchange HouseExchange House
    Ostroumova-Lebedeva A. P.
  • Neva in the Early MorningNeva in the Early M…
    Ostroumova-Lebedeva A. P.
  • St. IsaacSt. Isaac's Cathedr…
    Ostroumova-Lebedeva A. P.
  • FontankaFontanka
    Ostroumova-Lebedeva A. P.
  • View from the Tuchkov Bridge View from the Tuchk…
    Ostroumova-Lebedeva A. P.
  • Lithuanian CastleLithuanian Castle
    Ostroumova-Lebedeva A. P.
  • The School House of Peter IThe School House of…
    Ostroumova-Lebedeva A. P.
  • Construction of the Dvortsovy [Palace] BridgeConstruction of the…
    Ostroumova-Lebedeva A. P.
  • Academy of Fine ArtsAcademy of Fine Arts
    Ostroumova-Lebedeva A. P.
  • Fontanka River near the Summer GardenFontanka River near…
    Ostroumova-Lebedeva A. P.
  • Drifting of IceDrifting of Ice
    Ostroumova-Lebedeva A. P.
  • Frantsuzkaya [French] EmbankmentFrantsuzkaya [Frenc…
    Ostroumova-Lebedeva A. P.
  • Portrait of Anna Ostroumova-LebedevaPortrait of Anna Os…
    Serov V. A.
  • Portrait of the composer Aleõander GlazunovPortrait of the com…
    Serov V. A.