Reproductie naar schilderij met portret van Julia Culp c. 1915 - 1925

This reproduction of a portrait of Julia Culp gives us an opportunity to think about the labor of image making and the world of celebrity at the time. The original painting is reproduced here using photogravure, a process by which a photograph is transferred to a metal plate and then etched with acid. Ink is then applied and the image is printed. The result, as you can see, is a finely textured surface, with subtle gradations of light and shadow. The image has a tactile quality, almost like a charcoal drawing. However, it is a mechanical reproduction, something that could be made in multiples. This would have been a way to circulate the image of a celebrity, Julia Culp, to a wider audience. The photogravure process created an affordable and accessible way to own a copy of the painting, indicative of an emergent culture of celebrity and consumption. So as you look at this image, think about the many hands that went into its making, and how the seemingly simple act of reproduction can have a significant social impact.