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Lithographs

Discover and buy lithographs from a unique collection of original vintage posters from the first decades of the 20th century. Lithographic works from the original print run, back when the posters were created to promote everything from the Titanic and travel to war bonds.

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SavoySavoy
Savoy
Sale price$770.00
Monte Rosa - Journey into the MediterraneanMonte Rosa - Journey into the Mediterranean
FDB Cigar and Tobacco FactoriesFDB Cigar and Tobacco Factories
Olympia Fackel-Staffel-Lauf 1936Olympia Fackel-Staffel-Lauf 1936
To New Zealand & Australia via PanamaTo New Zealand & Australia via Panama
Cairo - Misr AirlinesCairo - Misr Airlines
Cairo - Misr Airlines
Sale price$4,327.00
York on the LNERYork on the LNER
York on the LNER
Sale price$882.00
Days of Freedom - Go down to the seasideDays of Freedom - Go down to the seaside
Berlin, GermanyBerlin, Germany
Berlin, Germany
Sale price$1,443.00
Los Angeles - TWA FlightsLos Angeles - TWA Flights
Los Angeles - TWA Flights
Sale price$4,648.00
Batumi USSRBatumi USSR
Batumi USSR
Sale price$1,475.00
Winter and high mountain sun in NorwayWinter and high mountain sun in Norway
Omaha Beach - Buy that invasion bond!Omaha Beach - Buy that invasion bond!
Save 14%The Palisades of the HudsonThe Palisades of the Hudson
The Palisades of the Hudson
Sale price$6,202.00 Regular price$7,212.00
Together we winTogether we win
Together we win
Sale price$1,427.00
Cadore - Im Reiche der DolomiteCadore - Im Reiche der Dolomite
Canada - Anchor-Donaldson LineCanada - Anchor-Donaldson Line
Canada - Anchor-Donaldson Line
Sale price$6,090.00
The world's largest transport company - Canadian PacificThe world's largest transport company - Canadian Pacific
Austrian ZugspitzbahnAustrian Zugspitzbahn
Austrian Zugspitzbahn
Sale price$1,923.00
Marrakech la MagicienneMarrakech la Magicienne
Marrakech la Magicienne
Sale price$3,766.00
Delta Air Lines DC-6Delta Air Lines DC-6
Delta Air Lines DC-6
Sale price$1,170.00
Washington - Pennsylvania RailroadWashington - Pennsylvania Railroad
South America - KLMSouth America - KLM
South America - KLM
Sale price$2,725.00
Save 25%Krakow HolidaysKrakow Holidays
Krakow Holidays
Sale price$1,563.00 Regular price$2,084.00
To & From Straits, China & JapanTo & From Straits, China & Japan
To CologneTo Cologne
To Cologne
Sale price$938.00
To Canada and the USA - Canadian PacificTo Canada and the USA - Canadian Pacific
Save 12%Royal MailRoyal Mail
Royal Mail
Sale price$6,346.00 Regular price$7,212.00
To England via Esbjerg-HarwichTo England via Esbjerg-Harwich
To England via Esbjerg-Harwich
Sale price$1,603.00
AustriaAustria
Austria
Sale price$3,205.00
Bad Eilsen - FürstenhofBad Eilsen - Fürstenhof
Bad Eilsen - Fürstenhof
Sale price$241.00
NetherlandsNetherlands
Netherlands
Sale price$1,042.00
Europe - America | Cunard LineEurope - America | Cunard Line
Europe - America | Cunard Line
Sale price$7,212.00
Join The Gym - YWCAJoin The Gym - YWCA
Join The Gym - YWCA
Sale price$2,564.00
The Friendly Road - YWCAThe Friendly Road - YWCA
The Friendly Road - YWCA
Sale price$1,763.00
Der RheinDer Rhein
Der Rhein
Sale price$561.00
Save 25%Khedivial Mail LineKhedivial Mail Line
Khedivial Mail Line
Sale price$5,769.00 Regular price$7,692.00
Ceylon, Straits, Java - Netherlands LineCeylon, Straits, Java - Netherlands Line
Save 16%San Remo - Ospedaletti - BordigheraSan Remo - Ospedaletti - Bordighera
San Remo - Ospedaletti - Bordighera
Sale price$3,366.00 Regular price$4,007.00
Weekly German airmail serviceWeekly German airmail service
Weekly German airmail service
Sale price$3,205.00
KLM - Amsterdam to BataviaKLM - Amsterdam to Batavia
KLM - Amsterdam to Batavia
Sale price$2,404.00
American Airlines - Convair Flagship over New YorkAmerican Airlines - Convair Flagship over New York
Canadian Pacific by train and shipCanadian Pacific by train and ship
Rejs til Fanø plakatRejs til Fanø plakat i rum
Travel to Fanø
Sale price$3,205.00
SABENA vintage plakatSABENA vintage plakat i rum
SABENA - Northern Air Express
Sale price$1,875.00
Pieniny, PolandPieniny - polsk vintage plakat
Pieniny, Poland
Sale price$1,523.00
Lufthansa vintage plakatLufthansa vintage plakat med gul ramme
Deutsche Lufthansa
Sale price$1,202.00
Divine Service at Lowicz - Original vintage plakatPolsk litografi
Divine Service At Lowicz
Sale price$3,686.00

A journey through

The world of lithography

In the diverse world of art, lithographs are a hidden gem that offers a unique insight into both technique and creativity.

From their origins in the 18th century, lithographs have depicted everything from breathtaking landscapes to profound social commentary.

What makes lithographs so special? How do they manage to capture both moments and emotions with just ink and paper? Dive into this fascinating art form with us and discover the stories hidden behind each illustration.

Whether you are a seasoned art lover or a curious beginner, we promise that our collection of lithographic masterpieces will open your eyes to the history of lithographs. Let's begin the exploration of the beauty of lithographs.

What is

Lithography?

Lithography is a fascinating printing technique that dates back to the late 18th century. This art form, whose name comes from Greek, literally means "stone writing," referring to the original process in which artists used limestone as a printing surface. Today, metal plates are often used as an alternative, but the basic technique remains largely unchanged.

Lithography is distinguished from other printing techniques by its ability to produce highly detailed images with a wide range of tonal variations.

One of the primary characteristics of lithography is its ability to replicate the artist's hand with incredible accuracy. This is because the artist draws directly onto the stone or plate with a fatty pencil or marker. This direct method allows the artist to create subtle nuances and complex textures that would otherwise be difficult to achieve with other printing techniques.

The story behind

The development of lithography

The history of lithography begins with the invention of the technique by the German playwright and printer Alois Senefelder in 1796. Senefelder developed lithography as a means of publishing his own plays more cheaply, but the technique was quickly recognized for its artistic potential. During the 19th century, lithography became a popular method among artists and printers throughout Europe and America.

In France, lithography played a particularly important role in the development of the art scene. Artists such as Honoré Daumier and Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec used the technique to create iconic works that captured the essence of their time. Daumier is best known for his social and political caricatures, which he printed in newspapers and magazines, while Toulouse-Lautrec used lithography to produce colorful posters and images of Parisian nightlife.

In the 20th century, lithography continued to develop, especially in the United States, where artists such as Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg experimented with the technique. Lithography's flexibility and ability to produce highly detailed images made it a popular choice among modern artists who wanted to explore new ideas and concepts.

The different types of

Lithographs

Lithography can be divided into several different types, depending on the materials and techniques used. One of the most common types is stone lithography, where the artist draws directly on a limestone block with a fatty pencil or marker.

Another type is offset lithography, which uses metal plates instead of stone. This method was developed in the early 20th century and is often used for commercial printing, such as posters, books, and newspapers. Offset lithography is known for its efficiency and ability to produce large runs of high quality.

Color lithography is another popular type, where multiple plates or stones are used to print different colors. Each color is applied separately, requiring precise registration to ensure the colors match correctly. This method was often used by artists such as Toulouse-Lautrec and Marc Chagall to create vibrant, multi-colored images.

In addition, there are also modern variations of lithography, such as photolithography, in which photographic images are transferred to the plate or stone.

The most famous in history

Lithographic artists

The history of lithography is rich with talented artists who have mastered the technique and created iconic works. One of the earliest and most notable lithographers was the French artist Honoré Daumier. Known for his satirical caricatures and social commentary, Daumier used lithography to depict the political and social landscape of the 19th century with a sharp and humorous pen.

Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec is another famous lithographer who revolutionized posters and graphics in the late 19th century. His colorful and dynamic works captured the life of Paris' cabarets and theaters, and his unique style has had a lasting influence on both art and advertising.

In the 20th century, lithography continued to attract prominent artists. Pablo Picasso and Marc Chagall are two examples of artists who experimented with lithography as part of their broad artistic repertoire.

In the modern era, artists such as Jasper Johns and Robert Rauschenberg have used lithography to explore new visual languages ​​and conceptual ideas.

Lithography

Technical processes

Lithography is a technically demanding process that requires precision and care. First, the artist selects a suitable stone or metal plate to act as the printing surface.

Once the printing surface is selected, the artist begins to draw the design directly onto the stone or plate with a greasy pencil or marker. Once the drawing is complete, the surface is treated with a mixture of gum arabic and acid, which creates a chemical reaction that makes the undrawn areas hydrophilic.

The next step involves wetting the stone or plate with water. The water is absorbed only by the hydrophilic areas and repelled by the fatty areas where the drawing is. A fatty ink is then applied to the surface. The ink binds to the fatty areas and is repelled by the moist areas, ensuring that only the drawn parts transfer color to the paper.

Finally, a piece of paper is placed over the colored stone or plate and the whole thing is run through a printing press. During the printing, the color is transferred from the stone or plate to the paper, creating a mirror image of the artist's original drawing. This process can be repeated several times to create multiple prints, for example if multiple colors are used.