Self-Portrait of the Artist Drawing on a Lithographic Stone
1816
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
1816
ink
From the collection of National Gallery of Art
This black-and-white drawing shows a man in a dark coat with a star-shaped pin on his chest. He’s holding a small tool in one hand and a flat stone in the other, like he’s working on it. His hair is neatly combed, and he’s looking straight ahead with a serious expression. The stone he’s holding has some writing on it, and the text below his name mentions lithography—a way of making prints from a stone. This wasn’t a painted portrait; it was drawn directly onto the stone. Next, look up lithography to see how artists like this made prints.
