Reproductie van een schilderij van een wandelende jonge vrouw door Frederik Hendrik Kaemmerer before 1879

This photogravure presents a reproduction of a painting by Frederik Hendrik Kaemmerer. The printmaking process of photogravure is a fascinating blend of photography and etching. A copper plate is coated with a light-sensitive gelatin tissue, exposed to a photographic positive, and then etched. The depth of the etch corresponds to the tones of the photograph, allowing for a wide range of subtle gradations and velvety blacks, as you can see here. Photogravure was prized for its ability to reproduce the fine details and tonal range of original photographs or artworks, as with this painting. It's a process that demanded skilled labor, highlighting the intersections between art, craft, and industrial production in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Thinking about the materials and the making helps us appreciate the social and economic context in which art is produced and consumed, blurring the boundaries between fine art and the crafts.