Is authenticity compromised with reproduction?

According to Walter Benjamin, writer of “Extracts from the work of art in the age of mechanical reproduction,” authenticity is compromised with any form of art reproduction. Photographical reproduction of paintings and other works of art are inauthentic because these replicas lack the “presence of the original” (Benjamin 1935). He witnessed the rise of mechanical reproduction in the 1900s and claimed that it had “cause[d] the most profound change in impact upon the public.” The most traditional forms of art were then (and now) starting to diminish from the popular culture because of the widespread duplication. Perceptions of the artworks also began to change overtime due to the variations in size, color and clarity in all the replicas.

According to the author, authenticity can never be reproduced because “even the most perfect reproduction of a work of art is lacking one element: its presence in time and space, its unique existence at the place where it happens to be.” This topic related back to our class discussion about photographic truth, but in a different context.  Are these photographic replicas of paintings or other photographs as truthful/genuine as the original one? Will the viewers feel the same way when they view both the original work and a reproduced copy? Take this image as an example. It is a photographed version of Michaelangelo’s “The Last Judgement” found inside the Sistine Chapel. This photo is sold as postcards all over the world, most especially in the Vatican. This postcard is nowhere near as impressive as the original piece. Yes, you can see most of the elements of the painting, but you do not get the same effect as if you see it in person. Many people believe that keeping a copy of this postcard will remind them of the magnificence of the masterpiece. Well, I strongly disagree. I concur with Benjamin when he claimed that reproduction continuously depreciates the quality and value of the original piece. All the postcards being distributed all over the world is compromising the authenticity of Michaelangelo’s work.

--By Kimberly Martin