Historical Context: Art & Pictorialism

Pictorialists are Cady in Mean Girls?

Fine artists (painters) were the top of the social hierarchy in the art world, The Plastics! Photographers, like Cady learning how to exist in an American high school when she had grown up in Africa in the 2000s, were looking for their own place to belong and learning how their art form could find value. While some photographers were like Janice, exploring how they could look different to the other Art movements, for the most part Pictorialists were inspired and looked up to the plastics, copying their pink on Wednesday style, through soft focus, atmospheric lighting and dreamlike artworks that were a mixture between art and photography.

Pictorialism - When Photography Became Art

James Craig Annan, Stirling Castle (1903)

Edward Steichen, Rodin, Le Penseur (1902)

Clarence H. White, The Fountain (1905-06)

Alfred Stieglitz, The Street, Fifth Avenue (1900-01)

Alfred Stieglitz, The Net Mender (1894)

James Craig Annan, Bolney Backwater (1908)

Pictorialism Intro

"Pictorialism, an approach to photography that emphasises beauty of subject matter, tonality, and composition rather than the documentation of reality."
Britannica (n.d) 'Pictorialism,' URL

Pictorialism is a photographic movement that emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, focusing on creating images with artistic and emotional qualities rather than purely factual records. The term "pictorial" was first linked to photography by English photographer Henry Peach Robinson in his 1869 book 'Pictorial Effect in Photography.' Robinson advocated for the use of chiaroscuro—a technique involving dramatic lighting and shading, borrowed from painting—to create expressive and artistic moods in photographs.

Pictorialism was a photography movement that was widely adopted between 1885 and 1915, though some photographers still made pictorial style images until the 1940s. In the early 1900s, artists were debating whether or not photography was a mechanical process used to record reality or if it was a true art form. Haters compared photography to the results of a chemistry experiment, scientifically precise but without artistic merit. Meanwhile, advocates like Robinson, used early editing techniques to try and prove that photography was valid because creators could bring their own perspective on subjects, just like they did in paintings at the time.

Robinson, Henry Peach (1869). Pictorial Effect in Photography: Being Hints on Composition and Chiaro-oscuro for Photographers. To which is Added a Chapter on Combination Printing, London: Piper & Carter.

Frank Eugene, Portrait of a Woman (1900)

F. Holland Day, An Ethiopian Chie (1897)

Frank Eugene, Small Boy Dressed as a Faun (1908)

Frank Eugene, Portrait of Two Young Men (1905-15)

Clarence H. White, Sunlight (1899)

Art Institute of Chicago (2016) 'Pictorialism' URL

Edward Steichen, Girl with Lilacs (1907) Autochrome

Pictorialism Context - Y2K Nostalgia?

Have you seen someone dressed like this?

Heaps of big societal changes were happening in the 1800s. For example, the industrial revolution was a period of global transition of the human economy towards more widespread, efficient and stable manufacturing processes with less hand production methods and a move to machines, chemical manufacturing, water & steam power and factories. With huge urbanisation and technological developments, many people went from farmers to factory workers. Pictorialists responded to this by seeking to reconnect nature and traditional aesthetics, often romanticising their subjects.

Similarly, we have had rapid development in technology over the last 5 years, with smartphones becoming faster and easier to use, AI text, image and video capability becoming integrated in to a large number of technologies and social and videos apps promoting asynchronous and international relationships and communication. The art & fashion community have responded to this, particularly Gen Z by choosing Y2k aesthetics in fashion, interior design and graphic design, as well a resurgence in retro gaming.

Frequently, rapid development in technology leads people to be nostalgic for simpler times.

How this has been reflected in videography

Reflect

What were impressionist artists looking to capture and how was this influenced by the technology available to them?
What were pictorial photographers looking to capture and how was this influenced by the technology available to them?
What have creators inspired by Y2K nostalgia aimed to capture and how has this been influenced by recent developments in technology?

Pictorialism Techniques

Pictorialist photographers employed a variety of techniques to elevate photography to an art form, aiming to convey emotional depth and a sense of beauty. These techniques were designed to enhance the mood of an image and create a sense of artistry beyond mere documentation. Here are the key techniques used by Pictorialists:

Framing and posing subjects to imitate classical art compositions.
Soft focus to create a dreamy, painterly effect.
Special lenses or diffusion screens for a blurred, ethereal look.
Toning processes to add colours like sepia or blue, enhancing the mood.
Vignetting to focus attention on the central subject of the image.

Composite photography: merge multiple images, often for artistic effect.
Selective lighting to create dramatic shadows and highlights.
Use of textured papers to replicate the effects of canvas or watercolour.
Hand-retouching negatives to alter details, often adding artistic elements.
Handmade prints that used chemicals for unique textures and tones.

Pictorialism Ongoing

Pictorialism established photography as a legitimate art form, influencing how we view and use photography today. It paved the way for photographic techniques that focus on emotional storytelling and creative expression, seen in modern fine art photography and cinematic visuals. While digital technology has made sharp realism more accessible, many contemporary photographers still draw on Pictorialist methods to create atmospheric and evocative images. The movement also opened the door for photography to be displayed and valued in galleries and museums.

Photography & Art Intertwined

Beyond Pictorialism: Straight Photography

Influential Pictorial Photographers

Henry Peach Robinson

Henry Peach Robinson was a pioneering English photographer and an early advocate of Pictorialism, known for his composite photography technique. By combining multiple negatives into a single image, he created carefully staged, painterly scenes that resembled classical art. His work, such as Fading Away, demonstrated photography's potential as a medium for storytelling and emotional depth.

Alfred Stieglitz

An influential American photographer and gallery owner, Alfred Stieglitz played a key role in legitimising photography as fine art. He employed techniques such as soft focus and dramatic lighting to capture atmospheric scenes, as seen in his series The Terminal. Stieglitz's advocacy for Pictorialism through publications like Camera Work helped elevate the movement's status globally.

Gertrude Käsebier

Gertrude Käsebier was a groundbreaking American Pictorialist, known for her emotive portraits of women and children. She utilised soft focus and tonal gradations to create tender, intimate compositions. Käsebier's focus on the personal and domestic sphere expanded the subject matter of Pictorialism and inspired future portrait photographers.

Edward Steichen

Edward Steichen was a Luxembourgish-American photographer celebrated for his experimental approach to Pictorialism. He used techniques like hand-tinting and gum bichromate printing to infuse his images with painterly qualities, as seen in The Pond—Moonlight. His innovative blending of photography and painting redefined the artistic possibilities of the medium.

Clarence H. White

Clarence H. White was an American Pictorialist known for his delicate, atmospheric compositions, often employing vignetting and soft lighting. His work highlighted the interplay of light and shadow, creating serene, almost meditative scenes. White also founded the Clarence H. White School of Photography, fostering a generation of artists and advancing Pictorialist ideals.

Have a Go!

We are working towards a Photography History Exploration assessment where you will compare the different ways that historical contexts shaped the meaning within photographs and the techniques that were used to communicate them.

To help us understand Pictorialism even more, you are to complete the following in a pair or group of three-four.

Choose one of the five photographers mentioned above.
Investigate this photographer and collect the following information on a Google slide (you may copy and paste the questions):
-Where did they grow up and where did they mostly take photographs? (5 or more sentences or dot points)
-What large events shaped the context they took photos in? (e.g. war, industrial revolution, pandemics etc..) (5 or more sentences or dot points)
-Gather five photos of theirs you like
-Dot point the techniques used to create these photos (3 or more dot points, total)
-Include APA references either on your slides or on one slide at the end
Of the photo examples you have collected, you will re-create one in your pair or group. We will then share our findings with the class. You may use any tutorials below to help you.