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Chromolithography: The Art of Color
Historical
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A superior chromolithograph and a very scarce print after John Mix Stanley's famous painting "The Trial of Red Jacket." Red Jacket (ca. 1750-20 Jan. 1830) was a Seneca chief who became a leader of his nation during the American Revolution. Allied to the British, the Seneca found themselves on the losing side at the end of hostilities. From a weakened position, Red Jacket emerged as a negotiator and speaker rather than a warrior, to the consternation of many among the tribe. In 1792 he led a delegation of 50 Indians to Philadelphia where he met George Washington and received a large peace medal showing him shaking hands with the first president. As in this scene, Red Jacket is always portrayed wearing this medal. Nevertheless, in 1801 after defending Seneca tribal ways, which included rejection of Christianity, he was brought to trial for witchcraft by fellow tribesmen. His oratory provide a successful defense, and he emerged from the trial as a leader who preserved Seneca lands that included a reservation in the area of present-day Buffalo, New York. He and his tribe fought on the American side during the War of 1812, and that participation enabled the Seneca to retain their land for years after the death of this noble leader.
Stanley was interested in marketing his western images to a wider public than could afford his paintings, and so decided to use the relatively new and elaborate process of chromolithography. This process, with its many layers of color, most closely duplicated the appearance of original oil paintings, and Stanley hoped the resulting prints would help make his fortune. In 1869, Stanley arranged for a German publisher to issue chromolithographs of some of his paintings. The resulting prints proved to be quite popular, but the advent of the Franco-Prussian War soon made the business arrangement difficult to continue and few prints were ever produced. This rare example of one of Stanley's prints is a fine illustration both of the quality of his work and of the art of chromolithography in the late nineteenth century. $6,800
[Midnight Race on the Mississippi.] Cincinnati or perhaps Covington, Kentucky: Donaldson Art Sign Company, circa. 1887. Chromolithograph. 20 x 29 1/2. A few chips and short tears around margins, else very good.
Many prints and drawings of the famous race between the Natchez and the Robert E. Lee were made during the nineteenth century. Steamboats had been the major means of transportation in the decades before and after the Civil War, but with the coming of railroads in the 1870s, that traffic was considerably diminished. The great palaces filled with people and stacked with cargo were replaced by barges. This print was made at the end of that era., with the romance of the vanishing past is well captured by this print with a full moon, bright cinders flowing from the smoke stacks, people on deck watching the race, and the calm waters being cut by the vibrant boats.
The Donaldson name appears in a variety of forms in records of Cincinnati, Ohio, printers: Donaldson & Elmes (1863), William M. Donaldson (1872), Donaldson, Mach & Co. (1873), Donaldson Lithographing Company (1880) and William M. Donaldson & Co. (1883). The name Donaldson Art Sign Company appears with the date 1887 and the place Covington on Donaldson's version of Frank Tuchfarber's chromolithograph after William Harnett's "The Old Violin." The use of the word "Art" in the name of the company was a popular designation at the time. Peter Marzio notes that Kurz & Allison in Chicago called themselves "Art Publishers" (p. 179) while the term was used by firms with a tendency to produce a German variety of chromolithograph called an oleograph. These chromos were characterized by printing in dark thick inks that were heavily coated with varnish. This style of print was made in both Germany and the United States, no doubt appealing to immigrants from Germany and a middle class that wanted to enjoy art. The appeal was strong for the people who related to the great rivers such as the Mississippi and the Ohio, and that emotion continues to the present. $2,400
“Landing of Columbus.” Chicago: Kurz & Allison, ca. 1890. Chromolithograph. 17 1/2 x 25. Very good condition.
A colorful image by Kurz & Allison, showing the scene of Columbus' landing in America. Typically of the prints by this firm, the event is overstated with Victorian melodrama. The vivid colors show Columbus standing in resplendent dress at the shore with his ship in the background. As much a reflection of the taste of the print buying public as of the events portrayed in them, this print is a wonderful document of Victorian times. $500
Go to page with more historic chromolithographs by Kurz & Allison.
Pairs of popular prints on the theme of a soldier heading off to war and then returning appeared in this country as early as the Mexican-American War. This pair appeared at the end of the Philippine-American War. $350
There are quite a number of Civil War chromolithographs listed in our Civil War pages
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