Fotoreproductie van een schilderij van Edwin Henry Landseer c. 1860 - 1870

This photograph reproduces a painting by Edwin Henry Landseer, and although the photographer is unknown, the process itself is telling. Photographs like this one allowed for mass dissemination of artworks to an unprecedented degree. The texture and detail of Landseer’s original painting of dogs, rendered in oil paint, are translated here into the tones and shades of a photographic print. The work is presented on a card, becoming easily transportable and collectible. The making of photographs like this one involved a series of steps, from setting up the shot to developing the print, each requiring specific expertise and equipment. This image is small, one of many in a whole album. Think about the labor involved in printing these images over and over. Photography democratized art, taking it from the walls of the elite and placing it into the hands of anyone who could afford a print. It allowed greater access to artworks, influencing taste and artistic movements, and transforming our relationship with the original work of art.