Fotoreproductie van een prent naar een schilderij van Jacopo Tintoretto c. 1860 - 1870

This small reproduction of Tintoretto’s "Crucifixion" was made using a photo-mechanical process of some kind. Consider what it means to take a monumental painting, full of bravura brushwork, and render it in a flat, portable format. The reproductive print flattens the original, and makes the painter’s virtuosity seem almost beside the point. What matters most is the composition, and the information that it conveys. The image has been stripped of its aura, and made available for mass consumption. In a sense, this little print is the end result of the capitalist system that Tintoretto helped to fuel, churning out paintings for wealthy patrons, and, in turn, the print extends the reach of his iconic image even further. Looking at this reproduction, we can appreciate how the meaning of an artwork shifts across different materials and contexts.