Fotoreproductie van een drieluik met heiligen before 1876

Anselm Schmitz made this photomechanical print of a triptych with religious images sometime in the late nineteenth century. At the time, photography was rapidly changing the way art was viewed and understood. Museums and institutions like the one that holds this artwork could now share images of artworks with a wider audience. This was especially useful for artworks that couldn't be moved easily, or were too fragile to travel. Photomechanical prints were more than just copies; they were a new way of experiencing art. The images show scenes from Christian stories rendered in a style that recalls fifteenth century painting. But what was gained or lost by the new medium of photography is a question that is very much of its time. Historians will use sources like exhibition catalogues, art journals, and artist biographies to understand the changing role of art in society. They remind us that art is always shaped by the social and cultural context in which it is made and viewed.