Fotoreproductie van het schilderij 'Kennismaking' door Ferdinand Ernst Lintz before 1871

This is a photographic reproduction of the painting 'Kennismaking' or 'Acquaintance', made by Binger & Chits. Photography in the 19th century involved a complex manipulation of chemistry. The negative plates were often glass, coated with light-sensitive emulsion. The process required patience and skill. We may not know how Binger & Chits chose to interpret the original painting through photography, but the choice to reproduce fine art through a relatively new medium speaks to the popularization of art at the time. Though not much is known about Binger & Chits, it's intriguing to consider the labor behind this piece. In a time of rapidly changing technologies and industrial growth, photography offered new avenues for creative expression and commercial enterprise. The ability to reproduce and distribute images democratized access to art. By understanding the materials, making, and context, we see photography’s role in broader social issues of labor, politics, and consumption.