Aura
Walter Benjamin's term for the unique presence of an original artwork, which he argued mechanical reproduction dissolves.
In depth
Benjamin's 1935 essay argued that because a photograph can be reproduced endlessly, it has no original in the traditional sense, and the ritual authority attached to unique objects gives way to political and mass-cultural uses. The argument sits awkwardly beside the contemporary market's limited editions, which reintroduce scarcity deliberately.
Examples in practice
A limited edition of eight prints reconstructs artificially the scarcity that reproduction had removed.