Fotoreproductie van Loreley 1870 - 1890

Curator: Ah, yes, here we have a photomechanical print titled "Fotoreproductie van Loreley," created sometime between 1870 and 1890 by an anonymous artist. Editor: It gives off such an ethereal vibe, doesn’t it? The way she stands on that rock, draped in those clinging fabrics—almost like she's part of the landscape. I wonder, how much work went into manipulating this photograph? It clearly intends to appear painterly. Curator: Precisely. Loreley, a siren of the Rhine, a symbol steeped in Romanticism. The legend speaks of her enchanting songs luring sailors to their doom. Her imagery is associated with themes of deception, dangerous beauty, but also tragic fate and the perils that allure men. It represents this powerful female archetype and how it played in cultural narratives of the 19th century. Editor: But think of the labor involved in making a photomechanical print at this time. Preparing the plates, applying the light-sensitive emulsions... And someone, clearly, decided what to leave in and what to airbrush or adjust out; the degree of craft necessary for the final product. What materials were used? How long would the exposure have been? I'd love to understand the handcraft in something that purports to simply record or reproduce. Curator: Indeed, considering its existence as a "reproduction" actually obscures its inherent materiality. The symbol itself--this fatal woman on a rock, and even the photographic techniques would evolve and develop through the 19th century. This artwork and ones like it, helped carry forward, but also changed the idea of *who* Lorelei was to the culture that produced and purchased it. Editor: So, each image reproduced would carry forward the Lorelei image but would have been imbued by each artist with their skill set or working conditions. Even those conditions or tools affect the icon as we know it! Curator: Well said! And what seems like a fairly straightforward photograph is anything but. Thank you, it is as if all the processes that create its images reflect their complicated origin. Editor: It makes one appreciate how multifaceted making is. And just how layered "easy reproductions" like these really are.