Fotoreproductie van Nymphe des pres 1870 - 1890

This is a photographic reproduction of ‘Nymphe des pres,’ made by an anonymous artist. This image participates in a much wider visual culture from around the late 19th century. It depicts an idealized woman, a nymph, framed by foliage, which would likely have been very popular at the time. These types of images circulated widely through illustrated magazines and books. Photography at this time was going through a period of rapid development. The technology was becoming more accessible, creating new visual economies and allowing for wider circulation of images through affordable reproductions. What's interesting here is the reproduction of an image of a nymph. As an art form, photography was still trying to negotiate its status within the established art world. By reproducing traditional subjects, photography could try to position itself within established cultural norms and be regarded as 'art'. To fully understand it, we could explore the history of photography as an institution and examine popular imagery in 19th-century visual culture. This would give us a better sense of its social and cultural meaning at the time.