Fotoreproductie van (vermoedelijk) een prent van De molen bij Wijk bij Duurstede van Jacob Isaacksz. van Ruisdael c. 1875 - 1910

This is Andries Jager's photographic reproduction of a print of Jacob Isaacksz van Ruisdael's famous painting, ‘The Mill at Wijk bij Duurstede’. Jager, working in the 19th century, deployed the then relatively new technology of photography to reproduce and disseminate imagery, thus democratizing access to art. This process involved considerable technical skill, sensitizing and coating the photographic plates, carefully managing light exposure, and developing the image. The sepia tones and soft focus of the print lend it a nostalgic quality, which reflects the changing perception of the Dutch landscape. Once a site of agricultural labor and economic activity, now it becomes a picturesque scene, mediated through layers of reproduction. The labor involved in maintaining the mill, and in creating the original painting, is now distanced by this photographic copy. Consider how such reproductions play a role in shaping our understanding and valuation of art, and how it separates us from the original act of creation.