cshimokita
[Photo Forum Moderator]
10714
A brief introduction to three pictorialists... (viewer discretion)
One theory puts forth the idea that different styles and movements in photography continue to co-exist and never completely disappear...maybe somewhat differently from other artistic adventures.
Pictorialism (and there is no standard definition of the term) thrived from about 1885 to 1915, although you can still find contemporary examples... the root was a knee-jerk reaction to the commonly held thought that photograph was nothing more than a record of reality... it was the old discussion regarding photography as an art form.
Pictorialism refers to an approach where in the photographer has somehow manipulated what would otherwise be a straightforward photograph as a means of creating an image rather than simply recording it.
Oscar Gustav Rejlander : (1813 – 1875) was a Victorian art photographer and an expert in photomontage. One of his most famous and controversial photographs was "The Two Ways of Life" (1857). In Scotland the photo led to a secession of a large group from the Photographic Society of Scotland after they objected to the picture being shown with one half of it concealed by drapes.
"The Two Ways of Life" by Oscar Gustav Rejlander
Henry Peach Robinson : (1830 – 1901) was an English pictorialist photographer best known for his pioneering combination printing - joining multiple negatives or prints to form a single image; an early example of photomontage. He was one of the most prominent art photographers of his day. His third and the most famous composite picture, "Fading Away" (1858) was both popular and fashionably morbid.
"Fading Away" by Henry Peach Robinson
Robert Demarchy : (1859–1936) was a French Pictorial photographer of the late 19th and early 20th century, best known for his intensely manipulated prints that display a distinct painterly quality. His only artistic endeavor for the rest of his life was driving his classic car to the beach where he made sketches of heavy-set women swimmers in the water. Note: the following is a photograph...
"Speed" by Robert Demarchy
In the period between the wars photographic Modernism came into vogue, and the public's interest shifted to sharply focused images.
Thanks for looking,
Casey
Note: The thumbnail photo is "A night on the streets of London" (1857) by Oscar Gustav Rejlander
.
More posts:
A brief introduction to three pictorialists... (viewer discretion)
One theory puts forth the idea that different styles and movements in photography continue to co-exist and never completely disappear...maybe somewhat differently from other artistic adventures. Pictorialism (and there is no standard definition of the ter...
Very interesting, dear Casey
Please, keep sharing more of this kind of posts for the education of some of us. Best. René
"Speed" by Robert Demarchy
was printed using the gum bichromate process... in brief the printing involves creating a working emulsion of 01) Gum arabic, 02) a dichromate such as ammonium or potassium, and 03) some pigment. The emulsion is spread on e.g. paper and allowed to dry. Th...
Some great pics especially the Little Boy with nothing
Thanks to Casey and these historical photos I got myself into a rabbit hole with Jack the Ripper and the 1880's. Let's just say what is seen cannot be unseen
The individual in London is also a favorite...
be careful with those rabbit holes... ; ) Casey
Two very different images...
I like the technique of both photographers... taking the photo was just the first step ; ) Casey
Very interesting. I’ve googled all three photographers/artists...
...and looked at many of their images and, for me, the Robert Demarchy photos are more “arty” and certainly more appealing. Many of the others seem too staged. Thanks for this post, I enjoyed it. Regards Kev.
The Linked Ring aka "The Brotherhood of the Linked Ring" (1892)
was a British photographic society created to propose and defend that photography was just as much an art as it was a science. A few English photographers who used a pictorial style... William J. Newton, Henry Peach Robinson, Peter Henry Emerson, George D...
Thanks Casey, I shall have a look at the work of those photographers.
The only one I knew of was George Davison, some of whose pictures remind me a great deal of one of my favourite Victorian artists: John Atkinson Grimshaw. See if you agree. Regards Kev. ...
"Oxford Street – A Wet Day" (1897) by George Davison (1856 - 1930)
Reminds me of a series of Alfred Stieglitz photos of New York, for example Stieglitz's "Winter – Fifth Avenue" (1893) or "The Terminal" (1893). Another George Davison photo that I like is "The Onion Field" (1890)... Casey .
Thanks, Casey. Very interesting narrative and images. The third one is truly the most artistic or compelling for me.
One point of clarification, shouldn’t the year of attribution for the first photo be 1857? Thanks!
Hahaha... corrected, it was definately not 1957...
"A Night in the Street of London" by Oscar Gustav Rejlander was 'made' in c. 1857 and may have been printed by Rejlander in c. 1860. It seems that Rejlander did more than one photograph of the same individual in different poses... e.g. "A Night Out and Ho...
Compare
Three pictures. What i see in the three pictures is through centuries most important life events. Love Technologie Care and hope Always looking at recent pictures, it is refreshing to dive into pictures which made a longtime ago. With moving pictures, the...
Thanks for the comments...
After some searching I managed to find some ebooks by Henry Peach Robinson. Specifically "The Elements of a Pictorial Photograph" (1896). It's very interesting to read the thoughts of photographers from that time period... the onion layers of history. Cas...
David LaChapelle's Maybach Berlin Stories comes to mind...
Google David LaChapelle Maybach and you'll see a photo of a party inspired in the art deco period. The car has crashed into the nice building and the proletariat are looking in and shocked by the sinful decadence!
quite the photo shoot...
found a couple of background videos and and interview or two... Casey
It was indeed quite a photo shoot.
I didn't want to post it here on WPS since it wasn't family friendly. And I'm sure a fortune was spent on that photo shoot for essentially two photos; one of the classic Maybach in art-deco and one of the modern Maybach in a futuristic wasteland. I hope t...
明けましておめでとうございます
11:00PM here... all the best to you John and your family as we start the New Year... Casey
