Many of R.C. Gorman’s most celebrated works are stone lithographs, a traditional printmaking process in which the artist draws directly onto a smooth limestone surface.

While the term lithograph may be used broadly to describe prints made from either stone or metal plates, a stone lithograph refers specifically to the original method of printing from the artist’s stone drawing. Each impression is pulled by hand, often in multiple carefully aligned layers of color, resulting in the slight variations and rich surface quality that make every piece unique.

This distinction is especially meaningful in Gorman’s work, as the majority of his lithographs were created as stone lithographs, a medium that became central to his artistic legacy.