Dating back several hundred years to the work of European fine art printmakers, hand-pulled lithography is a time-honored means of producing high quality fine art reproductions. Once the artist has painted the original work of art, skilled artisans create individual printing plates for each color represented in the piece. Depending on the number of colors, there will often be dozens of individual printing plates required.
Each plate depicts only that part of the piece which is to receive that color. Paint is applied by hand to the first plate, and it is pressed onto the paper, often with the use of historic presses dating back to the 1800’s. Once the first color has dried, the second plate is painted and applied. This painstaking process continues until all colors and all parts of the original image have been recreated.
Hand-pulled lithographs are created on high quality acid-free rag paper, and are generally done in limited editions of no more than 750 pieces. They are often signed by the artist.
The quality and artistic heritage of hand-pulled lithographs make them a beautiful addition to any home and a central component of many fine art collections.