The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction Essay

The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction - Essay Example With the development of human civilization, mechanical reproduction of a work of art was introduced. It had given a new direction to the work of art both in scale and perception. With the passage of time, new and improved techniques were developed to reproduce or replicate the work of art. The woodcut graphic art was the first form of reproducible art. Later, the printing was introduced. Printing had brought an enormous change both in literature and ancient script. â€Å"During the Middle Ages engraving and etching were added to the woodcut and at the beginning of the 19th century lithography made its appearance† (Benjamin, 42). Lithography, enabled the graphic artists first time, to put its products on the market not only in large numbers as hitherto, but also in daily changing forms. Nevertheless, it could not sustain too long as after a few decades lithography was surpassed buy photography. Photography, along with technical reproduction of sound later around 1900, not only accelerated the process of technical reproduction of art, but also brought it to a standard where any visual or auditory images of art can appear and disappear at a simple movement of hand. It also shadowed its strong impact on society and captured a place of its own among the artistic processes.