Oleography or Chromolithography is a unique technique used for making color prints. This particular technique evolved from Lithography, which is basically a method of printing using a stone.

Oleography – The technique

The method of Oleography used multiple stones, a separate stone for each color, and included printing one color over another. It was widely used for commercial purposes and was the most popular method for color printing until the end of the 19th century.

Oleo in Latin means Oil. This technique used oil that gave the prints better quality. It is a chemical process based on the rejection of oil by water. Depending on the number of colors present in the picture, skilled workers took months to complete a single oleograph. In the 19th century, Oleographs or Chromographs become so popular in the United States that the Era was named as ‘Chromo Civilisation’. They were widely used everywhere, from children’s books and advertising art to posters and labels.

Ravi Varma Oleographs
While oleographs started losing their popularity by the end of the 19th century in the West, they started becoming popular in India. It can be completely attributed to India’s first modern artist, Raja Ravi Varma. He opened a press in Mumbai – The Ravi Varma Lithographic Press to make oleographs of his paintings in large numbers so as to make them accessible to the common people as well. The first picture printed at Ravi Varma’s press was the ‘The birth of Shakuntala’. This press produced a large number of oleographs of Raja Ravi Varma’s most famous paintings, before being sold to his German printing technician.

At The Antique Story, you will find Ravi Varma paintings and chromographs of this famous Indian painter. These antique oleographs are very valuable and are prized collector’s items. We also have authentic Tanjore paintings and lithograph paintings. Contact us to know more about the antique paintings and oleographs available at our online store.