Fotoreproductie van een prent naar een fresco van Jozua bij Eleazar voor mogelijk de verdeling van Kanaän door Rafaël voor de loggia's in het Vaticaan before 1861

This is a photo reproduction of a print, made by Gustav Schauer in the 19th century. It depicts a fresco by Raphael, showing Joshua and Eleazar dividing Canaan. The photo reproduction process itself is interesting here. It's a layered combination of technologies, where photography enabled widespread dissemination of images, and the printmaking allowed for their mass production. The texture and weight of the photographic paper contribute to the image's physical presence, but the content points back to the labor-intensive process of fresco painting, a technique that was closely tied to wealth and patronage. Ultimately, Schauer’s reproductive print speaks to the changing ways in which art was encountered and consumed in the 19th century, through technological advancements. It also prompts us to consider labor, politics, and the consumption of images in a rapidly industrializing world.