Fotoreproductie van een portret van Thomas Lestrange door Hans Holbein before 1877

This is a reproduction of a portrait of Thomas Lestrange by Hans Holbein, made by an anonymous artist with a printing process. The reddish-brown hue comes from a printing process with ink, laid down with great control to capture the likeness of the sitter. The choice of a printing method, instead of a unique drawing or painting, speaks to shifts in artistic production. While Holbein himself was an individual master, this artwork is one step removed. As a reproduction, it reflects the rise of mechanical means, and, perhaps, the changing status of portraiture itself. Was the goal to democratize access to imagery? To make the likeness of a notable person available to a wider public? By understanding this work's status as a reproduction, we appreciate the changing role of images in society, and the interplay between individual artistry and the mechanics of production. It asks us to consider the labor involved, and how new technologies change art itself.