John Gendall

Aloys Senefelder, Inventor of Lithography

John Gendall's original lithograph, Aloys Senefelder, Inventor of Lithography, was commissioned in 1819 as the frontis piece for Rudolph Ackermann's, A Complete Course of Lithography. For the most part this was a translation of Senefelder's, Vollstandiges Lehrbuch der Steindruckerey (Complete Manual of Lithography), published in Germany in the preceding year. Obviously this is a very early portrait of Johann Alois Senefelder, the 'Father of Lithography'.

It is particularly interesting to note that a tint plate has been utilized for highlights of white and graduations of brown. This predates James Duffield Harding's lithotint technique (where a second stone and not a plate was applied) by more than fifteen years. Aloys Senefelder, Inventor of Lithography may thus be one of the first experiments in color lithography.

Aloys Senefelder, Inventor of Lithography

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Title:	Aloys Senefelder, Inventor of Lithography
Artist:	Gendall, John (Exe Island, 1789 - Exeter, 1865)
Date:	1819
Medium:	Original Lithograph with Tint Plate
Publisher:	Rudolph Ackermann, London
Publication:	A Complete Course of Lithography
Note:	John Gendall: A nineteenth century Devonshire painter, illustrator and lithographer, John Gendall began his working career as a servant to a Lincoln's Inn barrister in London. At the same time he made drawings and watercolours which were displayed at a gallery on High Street. In 1811 Gendall's work was brought to the attention of Rudolph Ackermann, the founder of one of England's finest printing and publishing establishments. During the following years he contributed many aquatints and lithographs for Ackermann, including work for such sets as London Views (1817-1819), Picturesque Tour of the Seine (1821) and Westall's Country Seats (1823-1828).
	John Gendall returned to Exeter in 1825. There he opened a framing, gilding and carving business and continued to sell his paintings, watercolours and prints. In 1834 he etched and published a set of views of Exeter. Gendall was also an initial exhibitor at the opening of Exeter's Art Society (1845) and was instrumental in the founding of that city's School of Art in 1854. John Gendall exhibited his art at the Royal Academy from 1818 to 1863.
	John Gendall based his design of Aloys Senefelder, Inventor of Lithography on the portrait lithograph of Senefelder by Lorentz Quaglio (1793-1869). Quaglio's lithograph served as the 1818 frontis piece for Senefelder's, Vollstandiges Lehrbuch der Steindruckerey
	A Biographical Note: Aloys (Alois) Johann Nepomuk Franz Senefelder (Prague, 1771 - Munich, 1834) began his career as an actor and playwright. While looking for a cheaper means to publish his plays he struck upon the invention of lithography. Senefelder wrote, "I had just succeeded in my little laboratory in polishing a stone plate, which I intended to cover with etching ground, in order to continue my exercises in writing backwards, when my mother entered the room, and desired me to write her a bill for the washer-woman, who was waiting for the linen; I happened not to have even the smallest slip of paper at hand, as my little stock of paper had been entirely exhausted by taking proof impressions from the stones; nor was there even a drop of ink in the inkstand. As the matter would not admit of delay, and we had nobody in the house to send for a supply of deficient materials, I resolved to write the list with my ink prepared with wax, soap and lampblack, on the stone which I had just polished, and from which I could copy it at leisure. Some time after this I was just going to wipe this writing from the stone, when the idea all at once struck me, to try what would be the effect of such writing with my prepared ink, if I were to bite in the stone with aqua-fortis; and whether perhaps, it might not be possible to apply the printing ink to it, in the same way as to wood engravings, and so take impressions from it." * After further experiments and modifications lithography was born. Alois Senefelder opened his first lithographic printing establishment in 1796. He was later decorated by King Maximilian Joseph of Bavaria.
Provenance:	This orignal lithograph entitled, Aloys Senefelder, Inventor of Lithography hails from the estate of LeRoy Latham (1874-1938) and thence to his heirs. LeRoy Latham was Chairman of Latham Lithographing Company (Latham Litho & Printing Co.), also listed as the (Latham Lith. & Ptg. Co.). Situated in Brooklyn, New York, it was one of America's largest lithographic printing establishments in the early twentieth century. His large print collection consisted of many examples of French and British nineteenth century lithographs as well as contemporary American lithographs, etchings and wood engravings.
Reference:	* Aloys Senefelder, "The Discovery of the Lithographic Stone from the 'Complete Course of Lithography'", Domenico Porzio, ed., Lithography: 200 Years of Art, History & Technique, New York, Abrams. Quotation on p. 245.
Size:	9 7/8 X 6 3/4 (Sizes in inches are approximate, height preceding width of plate-mark or image.)
	UnMatted
Buy Now	Price: $495.00 US
Condition:	Printed on wove paper and with full margins as published for Ackermann's A Complete Course of Lithography in 1819. Bearing the publisher's address and the title within the lower margin. A strongly printed impression with full hues and in very good condition. Aloys Senefelder, Inventor of Lithography represents a most important, original example of early lithographic art.
Subject:	John Gendall , Alois Senefelder, Aloys Senefelder, Inventor of Lithography, original lithograph with tint plate, nineteenth century Devonshire painter, illustrator and lithographer, Discovery of the Lithographic Stone, invention of lithography, Vollstandiges Lehrbuch der Steindruckerey.
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