A New Art. Photography and Impressionism

In the nineteenth century many photographers chose the same motifs as the painters of Impressionism : the forest of Fontainebleau, the cliffs of Etretat, or the modern metropolis of Paris. They also studied the changing effects of light, seasons, and weather conditions. From the beginning, photography pursued its artistic ambitions through experimentation with composition and perspective and the use of a variety of techniques.
Until World War I, the relationship between photography and painting was marked by competition as well as mutual influence. The present publication investigates this reciprocity and illuminates the emergence of the new medium as an autonomous art form.