ABSTRACT
Mechanical reproduction of a work of art, however, represents something new. Historically, it advanced intermittently and in leaps at long intervals, but with accelerated intensity. The Greeks knew only two procedures of technically reproducing works of art: founding and stamping. All others were unique and could not be mechanically reproduced. The situations into which the product of mechanical reproduction can be brought may not touch the actual work of art, yet the quality of its presence is always depreciated. The uniqueness of a work of art is inseparable from its being imbedded in the fabric of tradition. The dispute was in fact the symptom of a historical transformation the universal impact of which was not realized by either of the rivals. Mechanical reproduction of art changes the reaction of the masses toward art. Fascism attempts to organize the newly created proletarian masses without affecting the property structure which the masses strive to eliminate.
