Fotoreproductie van het schilderij 'La dormeuse' door Emmanuel Benner before 1884

This is a photographic reproduction of a painting by Emmanuel Benner titled ‘La Dormeuse’ made by Valadon & Cie. Boussod. The photographic process, involving the use of light-sensitive materials, lenses, and chemical developers, transformed Benner’s original artwork into a reproducible image, likely for mass consumption. Consider the texture and tonal range captured in the photograph. The translation from paint to photograph flattens the original artwork, but also makes it accessible to a wider audience. The photograph’s materiality influences its appearance, imbuing it with social significance. This reproductive technique democratizes art, making it available beyond the elite circles who could afford original paintings. This shift reflects broader changes in labor, politics, and consumption, aligning art production with capitalist modes of production. We can consider how photography challenged traditional notions of artistic skill, raising questions about labor, value, and the role of art in society. Thinking about materials, making, and context helps us understand how an artwork gains meaning, and it challenges the divisions between fine art and craft.