Fotoreproductie van een schilderij van Margaretha van Antiochië naar Andrea del Sarto in de Dom van Pisa, Italië 1860 - 1881

This photographic reproduction of a painting of Saint Margaret of Antioch at Pisa Cathedral, Italy, was created by Giacomo Brogi. Brogi employed the then-modern technique of photography not as an end in itself, but to document existing artworks, allowing for their wider dissemination. The gelatin silver print process would have involved meticulous labor in the darkroom: preparing the glass plate, sensitizing it, exposing the image, and then developing and fixing it. Though it appears to be a simple, reproducible technology, in reality, this was a highly skilled practice. In its way, the photograph democratizes the original painting. Brogi’s print allowed people, who might never visit the Cathedral of Pisa, to access and study the artwork in their own homes. It is an early example of mass media, bringing art to the masses, and marking a shift in how images were circulated and consumed. This reproduction challenges our conventional understanding of art and craft, raising the question of how mechanical reproduction changes the value and reception of an artwork.