4 - Yaprak Baran : Translation, Imitation, Emulation

For this assignment, I decided to copy Pablo Picasso's Luncheon on the Grass, inspired by Edouard Manet's famous work. I thought it would be interesting to work with an already-reinterpreted masterpiece.
In his article, Walter Benjamin argues that reproduction depreciates the quality, lacks the unique presence and existence, and extracts the aura of an original work. He suggests that the act of reproduction only has negative repercussions by making art available to the masses. I disagree. As long as they give credit to the genius of their original masters, reproductions simply provide the masses with easily-accesible beauty. They inspire people to create their own works of art and continually challenge the past. Of course, nothing can replace the experience of seeing an original painting; however, Benjamin seems to assume that reproductions always attempt to do so.