For centuries, artists used printed versions of their work to increase profits and form a positive public reputation. In addition to being a more affordable option for the public, a print reproduction of an art work allows more people around the world to appreciate famous paintings, such as Raphael's Virgin and Child (The Bridgewater Madonna), the original of which is in Edinburgh, Scotland, and Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa is in the Louvre in Paris. Printing techniques are the most used today to reproduce famous paintings and drawings.
Lithography is a method of printing invented in 1798. The design is drawn with a greasy chalk on a thick slab of stone. Then the stone is covered with water and a greasy ink is applied to the stone. The ink adheres to the chalked areas but not the areas covered by water. Finally, paper is applied to the slab, transferring the inked design to the paper. Artists use this technique when they want to create several copies of their work. Goya, Daumier and Manet used this technique to produce some of their art work. However, this technique can't be used to reproduce paintings and finished drawings.
Sculptures can be reproduced by creating a plaster cast copy. This technique is widely used to create identical copies of famous sculptures. The first step in this process is the taking of plaster molds from the original, using a separating agent to avoid damage to the original sculpture. The piece molds are enclosed in an outer casing, and the wet plaster is poured between the mold and casing. The Victoria and Albert Museum in London has a permanent exhibition with reproductions of famous sculptures, such as Michelangelo's David.
Photography is another way of reproducing drawings and paintings with perfect details. With the advent of photography in the 19th century, lithography decreased in popularity among many artists. Famous contemporary photographs can be an work of art on their own. In 1932, Charles Ebbets captured eleven-man on a lunch break, sitting on a steel girder during the construction of the Rockefeller Center. This picture has been reproduced many times with photographic and printing techniques. It has also inspired other pieces of art, such as life-size sculptures.