Amazone zu Pferde bij de entree van het Altes Museum in Berlijn by Anonymous

Amazone zu Pferde bij de entree van het Altes Museum in Berlijn

1860 - 1866

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Artwork details

Dimensions
height 85 mm, width 175 mm
Copyright
Rijks Museum: Open Domain

Tags

#statue#aged paper#toned paper#homemade paper#paper non-digital material#sketch book#paper texture#personal sketchbook#folded paper#paper medium#design on paper

About this artwork

This photograph, an albumen print, captures the bronze sculpture, "Amazone zu Pferde" at the Altes Museum in Berlin. The image itself, produced by an anonymous photographer, highlights the relationship between art, commerce, and the burgeoning tourism industry. The process of albumen printing, popular in the mid-19th century, involved coating paper with egg white to create a glossy surface for capturing fine details. Here, the bronze sculptures are rendered with precision, emphasizing their classical form and dynamic pose. The photograph's materiality—the smooth albumen surface, the sepia tones—adds to its aesthetic appeal as a collectible memento. Consider the labor involved: from the skilled artisans who cast the sculptures to the photographer, to the workers who mass-produced these prints. The photograph transformed a unique artwork into a readily available commodity, blurring the lines between art, craft, and commercial enterprise. It democratized access to art while also commodifying it, reflecting the complex social and economic transformations of the era.

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