The Photography Room

CURRENT

Photography of Works of Art
16th Edition of the Photography Cabinet
10 June – 10 September 2026
Curator: Anna Masłowska

The reproduction of artworks has been an important branch of photography since the very beginnings of the medium. None of the printmaking techniques used in the 19th century could provide copies as faithful as the photograph. The previously unknown fidelity of the photographic image to its original meant that the new technique was quickly accepted as a tool for recording and reproducing paintings, sculptures, drawings, prints and works of decorative art. The 19th-century art market and the photographic ‘reproduction industry’ exerted a mutual influence on one another, benefitting both of them. The invention brought about a revolution in art publishing, and consequently in the promotion and distribution of art more broadly. As a mass medium, photography democratised access to art, and became an important cognitive tool for professionals – collectors, researchers and critics alike. At the same time, the drive to achieve ever more faithful reproductions spurred experimenters on and stimulated the technical development of photography.
This exhibition will present the most significant aspects of the photographic reproduction of works of art as one of the most important genres in the history of photography, along with its varied functions, roles and significance in the second half of the 19th century and the early 20th century.