The New Polish in Paris
Medium
Lithograph in black on ivory laid paper, tipped onto ivory wove paper
Dimensions
Image: 13.5 × 18.5 cm (5 3/8 × 7 5/16 in.); Primary support: 15.5 × 20.2 cm (6 1/8 × 8 in.); Secondary support: 23 × 26.5 cm (9 1/16 × 10 7/16 in.)
Classification
lithograph
Department
Prints and Drawings
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
41725
Art Historical Context
*The New Polish in Paris* is a charming 1819 lithograph by Louis Jules Frederic Vill, capturing a moment of cultural exchange in post-Napoleonic Paris. Created just two decades after the invention of lithography—a revolutionary printmaking technique that allowed artists to draw directly on limestone with greasy crayon, producing rich tonal effects—this work exemplifies the medium's early potential for detailed, affordable imagery. Printed in black ink on ivory laid paper and later tipped onto wove supports, its modest dimensions (image: 13.5 × 18.5 cm) made it ideal for collectors and urban vi...