Fotoreproductie van Översvämning door Carl Fredrik Kiorboe 1870 - 1890

This small photograph reproduces Carl Fredrik Kiorboe’s painting, Översvämning, using light-sensitive chemistry on paper. While the original artwork captures a dramatic scene of an animal rescue during a flood, the photographic reproduction democratizes the image. The textural nuance of the painting gets flattened in this format. Photography, like printmaking, enables the broader circulation of images, and the exchange of cultural values. This form of reproduction alters the reception of Kiorboe’s work by reframing it for a potentially wider audience, outside the traditional art world. The photograph is itself an object, and its small size suggests an intimate viewing experience, contrasting with the grand scale often associated with paintings. This invites a closer examination of the themes Kiorboe was trying to convey, and prompts consideration of the ways in which photographic reproduction mediates our relationship with fine art, making it more accessible, yet also changing its aura.