Walter Benjamin was a German-Jewish philosopher, cultural critic, and essayist born in 1892. He is best known for his work on aesthetics, literature, and the impact of technology on culture. His essays often explore the relationship between art and society, particularly in the context of modernity and mass media. Benjamin's most famous work, "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction," discusses how the reproduction of art changes its value and meaning. He was also influenced by Marxism and Jewish mysticism, and his ideas have had a lasting impact on fields such as literary theory, cultural studies, and media criticism.