Gustave Le Gray. Forest of Fontainbleau, 1856[11]

The public as well as many nineteenth century thinkers believed photography was not art since the photographer merely recorded a natural event which did not involve creativity or originality. The daguerreotype with its limited range of visual effects reinforced this idea that photography was a purely mechanical operation devoid of individual artistic expression. Photographic invention was one technological advance of the Industrial Revolution. This cartoon by Honoré Daumier shows this mocking dismissive attitude toward photography.

Honoré Daumier Drawing. Nadar Elevating Photography to the Height of Art, 1862[12]

The cartoon portrays the lengths to which photographers were willing to go for the sake of photography. Its satirical title, ?Nadar Elevating Photography to the Height of Art? implies that photography is in no way an art form. In the background is the sprawling metropolis, filled with photography shops, showing the amazing amount of interest in photography, only made possible by modern mass production.   

It is interesting to note that photography of original works of art became popular in the 1850s. Many artists found these photographs to be useful aids in studying the works of the masters. In fact, it is possible that photography influenced painters during the late 19th century. Delacroix was one such painter who claimed to have gathered some insight into the painting of Rubens after viewing a photograph of The Raising of the Cross. Realism, the artistic philosophy that dominated the mid 19th century was overthrown by the realism of the camera. This caused artists to go in a different direction, causing the birth of impressionism. If we consider photography as a modern invention, then impressionism would be post-modern because it was a reaction against photography.

Photographers working in the 1850s were often able to show their unique style and artistry through pose, color, and light as seen in Gustave Le Gray?s Forest of Fontainebleau (shown above). This landscape photograph has a painterly quality and looks quite impressionistic.  These photographers also experimented with staging shots much the way a painter composed a painting. As newer technologies became available, more photographers began to express their artistic ability through the photographic lens.

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[11] 2004, Journal Sentinel OnWisconsin.com, <http://www.jsonline.com/onwisconsin/arts/mar02/30252.asp>
[12] November 21st 2001, Kite Aerial Photography, <http://arch.ced.berkeley.edu/kap/background/history.html>