Lithography comes from the Ancient Greek lithos, ‘stone’, and graphein, ‘to write’. The first mention of the word lithography comes from Germany in 1796, when author and actor Alois Senefelder wished for an inexpensive method of printing his theater materials. By inscribing an oil-repellent image onto a flat, porous stone, one can use the stone to create thousands of near-identical prints and spread their words and images far and wide.īut what is lithography in art? Lithography has applications in advertising, wallpaper production, computer printing, and even nanotechnology, but it is also an intricate art medium if you have the patience for it.ĭiscover how lithograph art works and heighten your appreciation for the craft at Marcus Ashley Gallery.
Lithography is a medium that has dominated printmaking since the 18th century, but its defining principle is rather simple: oil repels water.
