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What is the difference between a print and a lithograph?

1 Answer
What is the difference between a print and a lithograph?
The difference between a print and a lithograph is that “print” is a general term and “lithograph” is a specific printing method (one of the most commonly used in the 20th and 21st centuries). This means that a lithograph is always a print, but not all prints are lithographs. A print is a work of art made by imprinting a design from a matrix made of one of the following media: stone, wood or metal. The artist creates the design on the matrix which is then inked and transferred onto the support. The support is usually made of paper. With respect to lithography, the process begins by drawing on or painting on a stone surface with an oil-based substance, such as a greasy crayon or tusche (an oily wash). The stone is then covered with water, which is repelled by the oily areas. Oil-based ink is then applied to the wet stone, adhering only to the oily image. The stone is then covered with a sheet of paper and run through a press.

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1stDibs ExpertJune 13, 2024
Shop for Peter Hurd Art on 1stDibs
From a Flying Fortress over England by Peter Hurd
By Peter Hurd
Located in New Orleans, LA
Peter Hurd 1904 - 1984 American From a Flying Fortress over England Signed, inscribed and dated: "Peter Hurd England 1942" (bottom left) Watercolor on paper Acclaimed American painter Peter Hurd demonstrates his mastery of capturing a specificity of place in his watercolor painting From a Flying Fortress over England. Hailing from his acclaimed “War Sketches,” Hurd’s trademark expressive brushwork and soft palette create an immersive, evocative scene. The acclaimed “War Sketches” series began in 1942, when Hurd was invited by Life magazine to travel with the US Air Force as a War Correspondent. This assignment represented a convergence in Hurd’s interests, as the artist had graduated from the New Mexico...
Category

20th Century Landscape Drawings and Watercolors

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

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