Fotoreproductie van een prent naar een schilderij, voorstellende een zelfportret van Rembrandt met zijn vrouw Saskia before 1869

This photogravure print reproduces Rembrandt’s painting of himself with his wife Saskia. An anonymous artist skillfully captured the painting, which gives us insight into the industrialization of image-making during the late 19th and early 20th century. Photogravure is a process by which a photographic negative is transferred to a metal plate and then etched with acid, the deeper the etch the darker the tone in the final print. The plate is inked, and then the image is transferred to paper through a high-pressure printing press. The result is a high-quality print with continuous tones, similar to a photograph. Although the artist is anonymous, the production of the image speaks to the rise of industrial techniques in the art world. The photogravure process allowed for the mass production of images, making art more accessible to a wider audience, it also raises questions of authorship, artistic skill, and artistic value.