Fotoreproductie van tekening/karton voor De School van Athene, Biblioteca Ambrosiana te Milaan c. 1850 - 1880

Pompeo Pozzi made this photoreproduction of drawing/carton for ‘The School of Athens’ out of paper. Pozzi's choice of materials and techniques directly influences the drawing’s appearance. The use of photoreproduction suggests a deliberate engagement with the aesthetics of mass production and reproduction. The drawing, through the medium of photography, becomes a commodity, divorced from the direct touch of the artist's hand, yet still retaining the aura of the original. This process also mirrors the wider social context of the time, where advancements in technology were transforming the way art was created and disseminated. The act of reproducing a cartoon hints at the labor involved in the creation of monumental artworks like ‘The School of Athens,’ acknowledging the skilled artisans and assistants who contributed to its realization. By focusing on the drawing's production and materiality, we recognize its place in the broader landscape of artistic creation, and challenge conventional distinctions between fine art and craft.