Fotoreproductie van een prent naar een fresco van de aanbidding van het gouden kalf door Rafaël voor de loggia's in het Vaticaan before 1861

This is a photo reproduction by Gustav Schauer of a print depicting Raphael’s fresco, the 'Adoration of the Golden Calf.' The original fresco, found in the Vatican, used materials like lime plaster mixed with pigments applied directly to a wall, whereas this reproduction, on paper, utilizes photographic processes to capture the fresco’s essence. The shift from fresco to print is not just a change in scale, but of medium: it is a record, a commodity, and a vehicle for knowledge, turning a monumental scene into a portable, reproducible image. Schauer’s reproduction speaks to the nineteenth century's fascination with democratizing art, making high art accessible to a wider audience through mass production. The photographic process, while seemingly mechanical, still requires skill and labor. The transition of art through this era is a reflection of the changing social and economic contexts of art making.