Fotoreproductie van een gravure naar De kruisaflegging door Caravaggio in het Vaticaan before 1868

This is an anonymous photograph of a print of Caravaggio's "Entombment of Christ", and it resides here in the Rijksmuseum. Photographic reproductions like this one played a crucial role in disseminating knowledge of artworks to a wider audience. Consider the time in which this photograph was made, and the power that the church still held in society. The image creates meaning through its visual codes, cultural references, and historical associations. The way in which the figures are arranged, the dramatic lighting, and the emotional intensity all contribute to the overall impact of the artwork. The fact that this photograph was made, and the number of prints made after paintings, all show the shift in social structure and power away from the church, and toward the public domain. These prints and photographs became vital tools for scholars, collectors, and art enthusiasts who sought to study and appreciate art from different periods and places. The social and institutional contexts that inform its creation and reception are crucial to our understanding of art's role in society, and the politics of imagery.