“The authenticity of a thing is the essence of all that is transmissible from its beginning, ranging from its substantive duration to its testimony to the history which it has experienced.” (Benjamin, 221) xxx

There is no image that can represent authenticity because it would only be a representation or a replica, which contradicts with what authenticity really means. For something to be authentic, it must be original and genuine, something that cannot be traced back to something because it is new and unique.  However, all great ideas must come from somewhere, so how can anything ever be authentic?  Take film for example: a movie, although it is a technical reproduction, it can portray things that cannot be seen just by using our eyes. Even though it is a copy, it is still unique.