Fotoreproductie van een prent naar een schilderij, voorstellende de Piëta before 1863

This is a photographic reproduction of an earlier print, made by Negretti and Zambra. Looking closely, we can see the way in which the tonal range of the original painting is translated through photography, a relatively new technology at the time. The firm Negretti and Zambra was a prolific producer of images in the 19th century, and here they are using photographic processes to reproduce and disseminate a pre-existing image of the Pieta to a wider audience. The making of photographs like this involved both technical expertise and industrial processes, a far cry from the hand skills that went into the making of the original painting. Photographic reproduction allowed for art to be more accessible to a larger audience, impacting art consumption, and art history itself. By considering its methods of production, we can see the relationship between art, technology, and commerce during this period of industrial expansion.