Fotoreproductie van een tekening van een vrouw die moet raden wie er in een harnas zit, door Adolph Menzel before 1868

This is a photoreproduction, made by Gustav Schauer sometime in the 19th century, after a drawing by Adolph Menzel. The image shows a woman trying to guess the identity of a person in armour. While the original artwork was a drawing, this image is a photograph, a new technology in the 19th century that transformed both art and society. Photography democratized image-making because it automated much of the process. The photographer’s skill lies in operating the machinery and managing the chemical processes, rather than the manual dexterity of the artist. While photography was initially seen as challenging the traditional art world, it soon became an important tool for circulating images of artworks to a wider audience. This reproduction allows more people to see Menzel's drawing, blurring the lines between original and copy, and high art and mass media. It reminds us that the value and meaning of an artwork can shift depending on how it is made and shared.