Fotoreproductie van een portret van Johann Sebastian Bach door Carl Jaeger c. 1865 - 1875

This is a photographic reproduction of a portrait of Johann Sebastian Bach by Carl Jaeger. The photograph itself, a relatively recent invention at the time, would have been a marvel. Photography democratized portraiture. Before, only the wealthy could afford to have their likeness captured in a painting, a status symbol of the upper class. The photograph, by contrast, captured the image of Bach in a reproducible form. This portrait, now unbound from the limitations of hand-rendering, could circulate widely. In an era rapidly embracing industrial methods, the photograph represents a shift towards mechanized reproduction. The tonal range, the very texture of the image, arises from a chemical process rather than the touch of a painter. It prompts us to consider how new technologies transform not just the way we create art, but who gets to participate in its creation and consumption.