Fotoreproductie van een schilderij van twee vrouwen die samen een brief lezen before 1863

This photogravure of a painting, showing two women reading a letter, was made by Edmond Fierlants in the mid-19th century. Photogravure is a printmaking process using photography to transfer an image to a metal plate, which is then etched and inked to create a print. The tonal depth and detail visible here are characteristic of this technique. The process, demanding meticulous darkroom skills and hand-printing expertise, was highly valued for its capacity to reproduce the subtleties of paintings. While photography was rapidly industrializing at this time, photogravure remained a more laborious, specialized practice. It reflects a tension between mechanization and handcraft, as photography gained traction in fine art. Fierlants aimed to give photography the status of painting, and the photogravure process helped make that possible. By emphasizing the material and skillful labor involved in its production, we can see how photography was elevated from mere mechanical reproduction into a form of art.