Fotoreproductie van een gravure naar het schilderij The babes in the wood door John Thomas Peele before 1871

This is a photo reproduction of an engraving, made after the painting ‘The Babes in the Wood’ by John Thomas Peele. Focusing on the material qualities of the photo reproduction, the engraving would have required a high degree of skill to produce, with the original design being carefully cut into a metal plate before being inked and printed. The photographic reproduction then mechanically copies the image onto paper. This represents a shift in image production, from handcraft to industrial methods, changing the value and status of the image. The original image is a sentimental scene based on a popular ballad about two children abandoned in the woods. But it's important to remember that this image wouldn't have reached a wide audience without the development of affordable photo-reproduction processes. This is an important reminder that material, making, and context are essential to understanding the full meaning of an artwork.