Reproductie van een gravure van een zelfportret door Lucas van Leyden before 1877

This is Joseph Maes’ reproduction of a self-portrait engraving by Lucas van Leyden. Maes, living in a time of increasing access to art through mechanical reproduction, created this work in the 19th century. The original self-portrait offers a glimpse into the identity and status of artists in the 16th century. Van Leyden presents himself with a level of self-awareness that invites us to consider what it meant to be an artist during the Northern Renaissance. Consider the gaze, which pulls you into the world of the artist. Maes, through his reproduction, taps into the 19th-century fascination with artistic genius, and an increasing democratization of art through printmaking. This reproduction encourages us to reflect on how artistic legacies are maintained and reinterpreted across generations. It also prompts a consideration of how the aura of the original artwork shifts when it is mechanically reproduced and disseminated more widely.