Drie fotoreproducties van een publicatie door de Arundel Society met een reliëf en twee schilderijen van Tintoretto before 1869

This photograph shows reproductions of artworks published by the Arundel Society. The Society, founded in London in 1848, aimed to promote knowledge of art through reproductions. These photographic reproductions after Italian Renaissance art, and Venetian art in particular, provide a glimpse into the cultural priorities of Victorian England. Consider the interests of the emerging middle classes, who were eager to acquire knowledge and taste. Organizations like the Arundel Society played a key role in shaping artistic knowledge, determining what was considered worthy of study. Art historians explore archival material related to institutions like the Arundel Society to get a sense of the social and economic context in which artworks circulate. The history of taste tells us as much about the present as it does about the past.