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On reproductions

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  06 June 2016

Trevor Fawcett
Trevor Fawcett*
Affiliation:
University of East Anglia
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Abstract

A reproduction gives a very imperfect account of a work of art. The distortions of a photograph, while less obvious than those of an engraving, are still serious. According to some authorities the dangers of using reproductive photographs include the spoiling of the aesthetic eye and the too easy assumption that a copy can stand in for the original. While reproductions are indispensable they need to be employed critically: for example a good black-and-white photograph may sometimes be preferable to the meretricious colour slide.

Type
Research Article
Information
Art Libraries Journal , Volume 7 , Issue 1 , Spring 1982 , pp. 9 - 16
Copyright
Copyright © The Art Libraries Society 1982

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References

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