Fotoreproductie van een schilderij van een lezende man c. 1865 - 1900

This is a photographic reproduction of a painting of a reading man by Laurens Lodewijk Kleijn, made sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century. The painting, now captured in this aged photograph, presents a seated man, presumably engrossed in thought, with his fingers thoughtfully placed upon his face. During this period, literacy was increasingly associated with power and class. Kleijn seems to have made an artistic choice that reflects the rise of the educated middle class in Europe. He offers us a view into the private sphere of intellectual life. However, the photograph itself adds another layer. In its time photography was a new medium, used to document and disseminate images, thus democratizing access to art. While Kleijn was interested in representing an individual's intellectual life through painting, this photograph carries the potential to reach a wider audience. In this dialogue between the painting and its photographic reproduction, we can consider how both art forms shape and reflect society's changing relationship with knowledge, class and representation.