Fotoreproductie van Hemelvaart van Maria door Peter Paul Rubens 1850 - 1900

Curator: At the Rijksmuseum, we see here a photogravure dating from 1850-1900, titled "Fotoreproductie van Hemelvaart van Maria door Peter Paul Rubens," which translates to "Photographic reproduction of the Assumption of Mary by Peter Paul Rubens." Editor: It’s quite striking how this sepia tone and the photo medium mute Rubens’ vibrant drama, lending it a solemn, almost haunting quality. The ascending figures appear caught between dimensions. Curator: Indeed. It's important to remember this isn’t the original painting but a reproductive print made through photography. Consider the labor involved in meticulously recreating Rubens' brushstrokes via photochemical means. The transfer itself, making art accessible through mass reproduction changes the value. Editor: Speaking of process, even in reproduction, you can’t ignore the compositional strategy. The strong diagonal thrusts drive the eye upward, from the earthly observers to the heavenly host, organized within a very deliberate arched format, containing what I understand to be Mary's triumphant rise to heaven. The angels arranged as visual guideposts further enforce the narrative of ascension. Curator: And who benefits from these easily distributed copies? Prints like these allowed a wider audience—parishioners, perhaps, or those devoted to Marian veneration—to contemplate Rubens' religious narrative in their homes. What socio-political impact did that proliferation create in the cultural milieu of the late 19th century? Editor: True, it underscores that, irrespective of medium, some aspects remain paramount. Form communicates feeling, guiding the gaze to understand symbolic weight through formal decisions. Curator: And yet, the choice of photography alters the very reception of Rubens’ art. The indexical nature of photography suggests veracity, framing the spiritual event with a patina of 'reality' while transforming it into an artifact of photographic and printmaking technologies. Editor: Perhaps we're both circling the same symbolic nexus after all. This 'reproduction' straddles the earthly, labor-intensive realm of the printmaker, and aims for the ineffable, ascending world of faith, through manipulating tones of light to produce awe, even in monochrome.