An evaluation of the concept of the copy in the relationship between sculpture and photography: The case of weary Heracles sculpture

This thesis examines the multi-layered, historical, and conceptual relationship between sculpture and photography within the framework of visual perception theory, addressing both theoretical and practice-based dimensions. Focusing particularly on the notions of "copy," "originality," and the "art object," the study explores how these two artistic media converge, transform, and are re-signified within contemporary modes of artistic expression. The dialogue established between the materiality of sculpture and the representational power of photography is analyzed not only in terms of aesthetics, but also through the lenses of historical memory, visual narrative, and conceptual inquiry. At the center of the research is the Farnese (Weary) Hercules sculpture, which serves as a potent symbolic case study within the contexts of mythological narratives and art historical references. Various representations of this statue—especially Gabriel de Rumine's 1859 photograph—are critically examined as challenges to the conventional hierarchies established between "copy" and "original." The fragmented physical history of the sculpture is restructured through albumen prints, creating an artistic narrative centered around absence, loss, and representation. The practical component of the research was conducted using a large format camera and albumen print technique, one of the original photographic processes of the 19th century. This technical approach is not only an aesthetic decision but also a conceptual one. Each print is positioned simultaneously as a document and as a unique art object, resisting the reproducibility typically associated with photography. The mounting of these albumen prints—separated into upper and lower segments—on a slab of aious wood visually references the historical fragmentation of the sculpture, emphasizing the role of images in reconstructing memory. The theoretical foundation of the thesis is grounded in Rudolf Arnheim's theory of visual perception and is further supported by the concepts of perception, chance, and constructed meaning. Additionally, key exhibitions such as Photography into Sculpture (1970) and The Evolving Photographic Object (2011) are analyzed to contextualize the historical interaction between photography and sculpture within curatorial frameworks. This thesis ultimately asserts that sculpture and photography are not parallel but rather mutually transformative, generative, and reconstructive modes of artistic thinking. It proposes a contemporary artistic approach that questions the binary between the original and the copy, offering new perspectives on the ontology of the art object.