THE NEW PHOTOGRAPHY

In order to establish photography as art, members of the Aesthetic Movement modeled their work on classical paintings, even copying the subjects and poses popularized by artists of the Classical Period. As the movement gained in popularity, photographers made a clear distinction between the elegant, artistic photography that conformed to the aesthetic standard used for paintings and the work of more realistic photographers that was beginning to appear. Since they were cloudy because of the gum bichromate plate that allowed for manual intervention, the aesthetic prints were easily distinguished from the more modern prints, which came to be called str ai ghtforw ard photo graphs. In contrast, the straightforward photographers produced images that were sharp and clear. Whereas the proponents of the Aesthetic movement continued to hand color their photographs, adding details and textures to conform.to the art of printmakers, the philosophy that surrounded the new photography rejected manipulation of either the subject matter or the print. The subjects included nature in its undisturbed state and people in everyday situations. 

A number of major exhibitions and the formation of photographic clubs during the late nineteenth century provided the impetus for the Photo-Secession Movement. Founded by Alfred Steiglitz in New York City in t902, Photo-Secession had as its proposition the promotion of straightforward photography through exhibits and publications. One of the publications, Camera Work, has been recognized among the most beautiful journals ever produced. By the l920s, the mechanical precision that had once been criticized as a defect by members of the Aesthetic Movement had become a hallmark of modern photography. Chiefly through the efforts of Steiglitz, modern photography had seceded from painting and emerged as a legitimate art form. In summary, the Aesthetic Movement rejected reality for beauty, but the Photo-Secessionists embraced realism as even more beautiful.