Anyone who believes that photography is more than just a matter of recording reality ought to take a look at the pictures made by Robert Demachy (1859–1936). The man was a leading French light in the late 1860s to early 20th century movement called Pictorialism. The term is succinctly defined by Britannica as “an approach to photography that emphasizes beauty of subject matter, tonality, and composition rather than the documentation of reality.” [read the full Britannica article here]
Like other pictorial photographers, Demachy used his camera as a painter would use a brush: to make an artistic statement. Below are some of his works depicting waterside scenes. They demonstrate Demachy’s skillful (and intensive) manipulation of a photograph to create a certain atmosphere that appeals to both heart and mind. The term “painterly” would seem inadequate to describe the dream-like world that Demachy created thrrough these images.
Le Pont des Arts, between 1879 and 1914
Robert Demachy (French, 1859–1936)
Courtesy of G. Starke on Flickr
Licence: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 2.0 Generic (CC BY-SA 2.0)
The Seine at Clichy, from the journal Camera Work, 1906
Robert Demachy (French, 1859–1936)
Courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art
On the Lake, 1904 (photogravure)
Robert Demachy (French, 1859–1936)
Courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art
View of the Kolkje Canal, Amsterdam, 1907–1914
Robert Demachy (French, 1859–1936)
Courtesy of Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
[Bridge over River], about 1894–1914
Robert Demachy (French, 1859–1936)
Courtesy of The J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles
View of the Grain Mill de Eendracht, Gouwsluis, Alphen aan de Rijn, 1907–1914
Robert Demachy (French, 1859–1936)
Courtesy of Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
Learn more about the life and works of Robert Demachy here.
