Fotoreproductie van het fresco De kluizenaars in de woestijn naar Pietro Lorenzetti in het Camposanto te Pisa, Italië 1857 - 1900

This photograph by Fratelli Alinari captures Pietro Lorenzetti's fresco, “The Hermits in the Desert,” located in Pisa’s Camposanto. Frescoes are made by painting pigment directly onto wet plaster, a demanding technique requiring speed and precision. The ephemeral nature of the process contrasts starkly with the permanence of the final image, embedding a sense of urgency and skill within the work. Alinari’s photograph translates the fresco, using light-sensitive chemicals to capture the image. This reproduction democratizes access to the artwork but it also changes our relationship to it. The photograph can be endlessly reproduced and distributed, severing it from the specific context and labor of its original creation. Photography like this was crucial in the 19th century, allowing widespread engagement with art previously confined to specific locations, yet it also raises questions about authenticity, labor and the changing value of art in the age of mechanical reproduction.