By Chelsea Reed
What is a lithograph? Well, it’s a little tricky to describe. But it’s a fascinating art form that Master artists experimented with since 1798. A lithograph is somewhat like an etching, but instead of the image being “bitten” into a metal plate, it is drawn onto stone with a greasy crayon. From there, the lithograph is made with the simple physics of oil and water not mixing together. The stone gets wet, then inked with an oily ink, and voila. The image is transferred onto the paper!
Master artists are experts at transforming their imaginations into lithographs. Check out these masterpieces they made that marked art history forever.
Hailing from a family of artists, Alexander Calder was a significant sculptor and painter. He invented the mobile, a type of wire sculpture that moves by the wind to constantly change shapes. It’s a traditional item in babies’ rooms today. This lithograph demonstrates Calder’s achievement at expert composition on a flat surface.
Marc Chagall was incredibly talented and known for his unique perspective. He painted, designed stage sets, and created prints and illustrations for books like this one. Chagall’s work was heavily influenced by the Bible, the bold colors of Fauvism, and his life growing up in a Jewish family. In turn, Chagall’s work has influenced many Master artists, including his friend Picasso.
Pablo Picasso is one of the most famous Masters for good reason. He was a modern Renaissance man. Picasso changed his art style not once or twice, but multiple times in his career. Picasso experimented with many different mediums, including lithographs like this one. Fun Fact: Did you know that Picasso was accused of stealing the Mona Lisa? Luckily he was proved innocent. It was a Louvre museum employee!
Not everything in art has to play by the rules. Joan Miro’s timeless works pioneered the Surrealist movement and helped explore the subconscious through automatic drawing, a discovered concept of uncontrolled drawing that unearthed new patterns and ideas. Even though much of his art is at least 50 years old, it still looks fresh and modern today.
Moses Soyer, along with his twin brother Raphael, were Russian immigrants who came to New York City in 1913. It was a time of great change for the United States, and each brother expressed their art differently. For Moses, that meant capturing the fragility and grace of the modern female form, often through ballerinas and everyday women. This ballet dancer seems to be contemplating a weighty matter. Is she thinking of a lover, or is she collecting herself before a performance in front of hundreds of people?
Satisfy your curiosity and be inspired by some of the best artists in the world. All of these lithographs are from Seaside Art Gallery, and you can find even more art by Master artists here online. No passports are required!
Chelsea Reed is a copywriter who writes winning content, articles, blogs, and websites from her base in North Carolina. She might not be building sandcastles or swashbuckling with pirates these days, but the Outer Banks beaches continue to keep her young at heart.
