Studio: international art (1.1893)

The Naissance of A rt in Photography

outcome of Dr. Emerson's teaching, has been variously The prevailing style of professional portraiture

dubbed the " Naturalistic," the " Impressionist," and has always been a sore point to those who wish

the " Fuzzy." It is not to be supposed that all our photography well. We allude particularly to the

artistic photographers deliberately put their lens practice known as " re-touching." A painter who

out of focus to obtain the advantage of breadth ; should represent in a portrait a lady disfigured by

but misty effects which previously would have been freckles would not be wise, and would certainly not

avoided, came to be much in request; simpler be successful in his profession ; and the same may

subjects are chosen, and we have thrown off many be said of a photographer. But when the removal

trammels which took the form of rules for compo- of accidental and evanescent blemishes was carried

sition and lighting, and were a bar to originality to the extent of complete " modelling" of the

and expression. features, and when the result of this modelling was

This crusade against superfluous detail led to to produce faces with the appearance of putty or

many follies and extravagances. For a time we dough, and to obliterate every trace of character

had quite a run on very rough papers for prints, from the features, then indeed great damage was

FROM A PHOTOGRAPH BY MR. HENRY DIXON

(Reproduced by Special Permission)

even of the smallest sizes. These prints were done to photography. We have a perfect right to
simply smudges in most cases; true texture was portray a face at its best, to remove fortuitous
lost. We ran riot in fuzziness. Pictures were, and blemishes ; but the line must be drawn at falsifica-
are, made so much out of focus that the outlines tion, and the human face must not be represented
are doubled, and spotty "areas of confusion" are as similar in surface-texture to a butcher's ball of
seen with an effect almost sickening. One set of suet. Portrait photography has also been degraded
evils is eliminated at the expense of the introduc- by the use of commercial backgrounds and impos-
tion of another set no less objectionable ; but it is sible " properties." The best of these backgrounds
to be hoped that in time we may return to modera- and properties are not in themselves objectionable
tion. Many have accepted the example of Dr. but from their frequent repetition. Among pro-
Emerson without rushing into extremes—none fessional portraitists who have discarded both
more successfully than Mr. Davison, Mr. Horsley "stock backgrounds" and "properties" may be
Hinton, Mr. Wellington, and Mr. Wilkinson. In mentioned Mr. Crooke, of Edinburgh, whose
the hands of artists such as these we believe that studio is fitted up in the style of an ordinary room,
photography must and will take its deserved place or rather of several ordinary rooms, with special
sooner or later in the world of Fine Art. arrangements for lighting the sitter. Mr. Crooke a
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