What is Pictorialism?
Pictorialism is the name of the photographic movement from 1885 and reaching it's peak in the early twentieth century. Pictorialists supported the idea that like art (painting), photography should focus on composition, the beauty of subject matter, idealism and tonality rather than the documenting reality. The movement therefore saw the camera as a tool and that like a paint brush, could achieve what the 1911 Enclyclopaedia Britannia described as a 'personal artistic expression.'
Despite the proposed aim of individual artisic expression, much work of the Pictorialist photographers closely coincided with the current painting movement of the time ; Impressionism.
Typical characteristics of Pictorialist photography:
- subjects/themes: often rural relationship between land and people
- Nude, still life, landscape, portraiture
- Visual language: Paintilly effects, soft focus, sepia toning, textured papers, drawing onto the surface, filters and lens coatings, dodging and burning
Clarence H White was an American photographer. He was a co-founding member of the Pictorialist group ; Photo Secession, formed in 1912. He was widely recognised for his pictorial photographic work and founded the Clarence H White School of Modern Photography in 1914 which produced many of the most well known photographers of the twentieth century.
The Arbor - 1906
I chose the photograph because I was drawn to the composition and to the typical qualities of Pictorial photography. The first thing I noticed which is typical to the style, is the soft focus of the image, creating an almost dream-like effect. The soft focus, enhance by the sepia toning additionally creates a sense of idealism implying that the woman is happily doing the gardening. This relates to another common feature of Pictorialism which presents the relationship between people and their surroundings, often engaging in work which they appear to be happy or proud to be doing.
Clarence H White was an American photographer. He was a co-founding member of the Pictorialist group ; Photo Secession, formed in 1912. He was widely recognised for his pictorial photographic work and founded the Clarence H White School of Modern Photography in 1914 which produced many of the most well known photographers of the twentieth century.
The Arbor - 1906
I chose the photograph because I was drawn to the composition and to the typical qualities of Pictorial photography. The first thing I noticed which is typical to the style, is the soft focus of the image, creating an almost dream-like effect. The soft focus, enhance by the sepia toning additionally creates a sense of idealism implying that the woman is happily doing the gardening. This relates to another common feature of Pictorialism which presents the relationship between people and their surroundings, often engaging in work which they appear to be happy or proud to be doing.
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