"Confluence and Influence: Photography and the Japanese Print in 1850-.
By the nineteenth century, new forms of art were emerging and artists were now searching for ways to "unite objective reality and artful perception."" Photography and East Asian art, particularly the Japanese print, were among these new forms in France. The author of this article, Deborah Johnson, goes on to explain how these two specific forms provided artists with the motivation necessary in taking the next steps in moving into the modern era. .
The announcement of the invention of photography came about in Paris and London in 1839. It became widely popularized during the 1850's through travel books and exhibitions. Photography offered many new points of interests to artists, particularly landscape artists. They made it possible to achieve more "objective- reality. One of photography's biggest contributions was the concept of light and shadow. Landscape painters found inspiration in the light, textures, and compositions that were captured by the photograph.
There were two different types of photographs that came about. William Talbot produced photographic prints on paper from a negative base. This process is similar to the one we use today. The second was discovered by Dagguerre. Direct positives were printed on small, shiny metal plates. This style was very appealing to the painters of the Paris Salons. .
The Great Exhibition held in London in 1851 was a huge turning point for photography and its role in the art world. Hundreds of photographs were displayed and viewed as art rather than science. They were continued to be displayed and appeared in the 1855 Universal Exposition in Paris. Photographs became such big attractions that their own annual Salons were held beginning in 1855. .
Millet and Corot were two artists who were both extremely involved with photography. Corot was captured by the process alone.