| wa Walter Benjamin SELECTED WRITINGS VOLUME 3 1935-1938 Translated by Edmund Jephcott, Howard Eiland, and Others Edited by Howard Eiland and Michael W. Jennings THE BELKNAP PRESS OF HARVARD UNIVERSITY PRESS ‘Combridge, Massochusets, ond london, England 2002‘ale Benjamin at he card catalogue of the Bibnkaque Navona in Pai, 1937. Photo hy Gite Freund. Copyght © Ge Freand Agence Nina Bes Work of Art in the Age of Is Technological Reproducibility Version ‘Marx undertook his analysis of te capitalist mode ef production, /node was ints infancy? Marx adopted an approach which gave his in ns prognostic value. Going back wo the basic conditions of expt lnction, he presented them i.a way which showed whet could Be ex- ‘of aptalism inthe fture. What could be expected itemerged, was tly an increasingly harsh exploitation of the peolraat bu, ut the creation of conditions which would make it posse for epital- abolish ise the tansformaton ofthe superstractre proveeds fa more slowy tha ofthe Bae thas taken more than hall «century forthe change in adios of production to be manifested inal areas of culture, low process has affected culture can only now be assessed, and these assess ‘must meet certain prognostic requirements. They do 20t, however, foctheses on che art ofthe proletariat afters sire of power, a rl for any of the ar ofthe classless soe. They cal for tees defining tendencies of the development of at under the present conditions of n. The dialect ofthese conditions of production isevident inthe xr 20 less than in the economy. Theses defining the evelop- tendencies of art can therefore comtbue tothe poll sragle in tat ie would bea mistake to underestimate, They neutralize «namber ational concepts—such as ceatty and genius, eteraal valve and ch, used in an wnconteolled way (and contaling them i ‘day, allow fatal material toe manipulated in th interests oftoa 5h The Werk ot Artin the Age of Rprodusily 103 lascsm. In wha fellows, th concepts which ae arodaced int the ‘of are difer from those mow current in tat they are compltey wel the purposes of fascism. On the ober hand, they are uefa for he fn ton of revolutionary demands in the polities of ae (Kunstpoiti Tinea the mor perfetceprodtion, ome thing is lacking: the here and 1 Innit work ofa hat always bee reproduce. Ober a mans old anys be coped ty hana Reps ne als is pacing for tc by mantener tc work fal by hed pu prio pro. Bathe cola Son of severks i smctig sem Faving ape ince tor at wissen ne Rey sped wither Ieee: Grapic ar as Se mela cody ood lng iene wae aguas became ecb by {pe The eoomoon cans bong abut nica by moa Se chciogal recon cf wing, eel know, Bure nly a pci eas, hough an pra cs of he peroncon coll org, ts oon hc ith echologea erodcton Te red om he pepe of wo nc cme fe Mal pnw Fs holga opnon ere inpndent Sees the wonar ms tplemened by cngavng eden, dade Ue tn eal soa or rap ea = ging fhe nicest ery by br tetonet apna th opal hat se cele oly ee on Uhornt mantels dana sew sag in se shnloy ie ft adsl andcan nl chane seein) sn hc homes producn. Tis mich more de proce” yt sl mrt can se cen process ec elrgenet ow ont the ranged ons nse tan ned on os of wont ‘hed on cpp plat hate pone fr pape ee mast roduc ony ge numbers evo atl hs ‘rato tihogpiy coated gap ato povie an itn Companime to eeyty eT hgan seep pce wth mle fring, ony ew dad fee ines o ey Ertwansupaed by porogaphy for te tin opel iad rom te mst impor se at ini rece of perl beens th now ved pont ee. dsc Pests ore ei tant had exp dant proce of pei Fodacton wat caonomy ccs et ted vot Kp Sihapech Jura lsteed sewepaper aly ny dene thoi oe non Sm nasa photon Te echak terodcton fsa ware steed fhe ey 1 eta rin eed de rtd opie a tn werk fh rfonly ‘fect Sob xed» cof oa he a ‘ls gouging tis sod wml del sy he ie “hich oo ifr maine the nprnaton of etre th ot of fia ang main rl ore Traces of the former can be deteced only by chemical or physical ss which cannot be perforaed on a reproduction} wile changes of ip are par ofa tradition which can be traced only fom the stand of the original in ts peesentocation Te ere and now of the orginal wnderles the concep of ts aueaticty, onthe ater in tenis founded the idea ofa wadition which has passed object down as the same denical thing tothe present day. The oboe of athens eludes techmological and ofcourse not only techno "raduction. Bu wheres the authentic work retains fll 2 iy inthe face of a repeoduaion made by hand, which ie generally es Scand, technological eprodaction ean place the copy ofthe orginal stains which ee orignal tf eannot attain. Above all it enables the lr mer the eipient hallway, whether in the form ofs photograph or inthe open ai i enjoyed peivte roam These changed circumstances may leave the artworks other properties, wvched, but they certainly devalue dhe here and aow of the artwork [he the spectator in afl, in the work of art this proces touches on 3 fy seaitive cove, ore vulnecale than that of any natural objet. That Gest authenity: The authenticity ofa thing is ee quintessence of all ts eansnsile i i rom its gin on, ranging from its physical dura 2 the historical retimony relating to Since the historia testimony Slonded on the physical durauca the former, too, is jeopardized by ce ution in which the physical curation plays no pare. And whats elly Jpnardzed when the historical tetimony ie affected is the authority ofthe bs, the weight it derives fom vaditon. ‘ne might focus these aspects the artwork in the concept ofthe aura,