Pictorialism
Photography treated as fine art through soft focus, tonal manipulation, and painterly composition. The photograph as expressive object rather than document.
Historical Context
Dominant photographic movement from 1885-1920. Photographers like Alfred Stieglitz and Edward Steichen argued that photography could be as expressive as painting. Characterized by soft focus, gum bichromate printing, and deliberate aesthetic manipulation.
Defining Characteristics
- Soft, diffused focus
- Tonal richness over sharpness
- Painterly composition
- Atmospheric quality
- Deliberate aesthetic manipulation
Reference Artists
- Alfred Stieglitz
- Edward Steichen
- Gertrude Käsebier
- Clarence White
Works in this style
Narcissus in Soft Focus
Julia Jackson, After the Manner of Old Masters
Nocturne in Ink and Shadow
Veiled in Light
The Laundress in Afternoon Light
Veiled in Shadow
Soft Focus, Open Window
Hand to Collarbone
Veiled Light
Seated Bather in Afternoon Light
On the Stage