Fotoreproductie van een prent door Thomas Stothard, voorstellend een illustratie voor The Vicar of Wakefield door Oliver Goldsmith before 1880

This illustration, of a scene from Oliver Goldsmith's *The Vicar of Wakefield*, comes to us through a reproductive process. It is not the original drawing by Thomas Stothard, but a photoreproduction, a printed image. Look closely, and you can see the texture created by the printing process. It is not just an image, but an object made through a system of labor. This is a mass produced image, designed to be circulated widely and cheaply. Consider the social implications of this shift: an original drawing, created by hand, has been translated into something available to a much broader audience, as books became more accessible, and the industrial revolution enabled cheaper printmaking. The image gains a new kind of power, shaping the imaginations of many readers. But it also reflects a changing world, where the value of handmade artistry is being renegotiated in an industrial era. By understanding the context of its making, we can better appreciate the complex relationship between art, labor, and consumption that this small image embodies.