Fotoreproductie van Le ruisseau door Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot before 1893

This is an albumen print by Alexandre, a photographic reproduction of “Le Ruisseau” by Jean-Baptiste Camille Corot. The photograph presents a soft, ethereal scene, dominated by a gentle stream meandering through a grove of trees. Alexandre masterfully uses light and shadow to create depth and texture, evoking a serene, almost dreamlike atmosphere. The composition is structured around the contrast between the solid, vertical forms of the trees and the fluid, horizontal movement of the water. The artistic reproduction of Corot’s work through photography invites a structural comparison between painting and photography. The photograph flattens the painterly qualities of Corot’s brushstrokes, reducing the original artwork to tonal gradations and contrasts. By reproducing a painting photographically, Alexandre engages with questions about authenticity, reproduction, and the changing status of art in the age of mechanical reproduction. This work destabilizes traditional notions of artistic originality. Consider how the photograph's materiality contributes to its meaning, transforming a painted landscape into a mediated, photographic image that challenges our perceptions of nature and art.