Hannah Jurgens

Pd. 7
How the Invention of Photography changed paintings

The progression of technology often has an effect on the art world, but no inventions
seem to have impacted art as much as the conception of photography has.
Before this point in time, people relied on artists to capture what they saw. Artists were integral
for documenting things like what significant historical figures looked like and reflecting upon
major events. Being able to draw/paint photo-realistically was a highly useful skill at the time. With
the introduction of photography into human culture, a shift occurred in the art realm.
Photography didn't necessarily nullify artistic skill or the ability to master photorealism, but it
certainly had its' impact, as seen from other pieces of art following the change. Surrealism was
already invented at this point of time, so it didn't just appear out of nowhere after photography
came into existence. However, the idea that not everything had to be photo-realistic was a concept
that caught on rather quickly.
Take for example two works of art in which this idea was reflected in: "The Saint-Lazare
Station by Claude Monet and Mont Sainte-Victoire by Paul Cezanne. Both are oil on canvas
paintings that were crafted after the popularization of photography (1877 for "The Saint-Lazare
Station and 1902-1904 for Mont Sainte-Victoire). Monets work is considered Impressionist
art, as it displays bold colors and captures a scene without much detail. The palette is
exaggerated and some artistic liberties were made in the painting of it. Cezanne also embraces
his freedom of artistic choices; his work was divided up into three equal horizontal sections

compositionally. The space and how Cezanne uses it to make the piece visually interesting
further supports how artists were less pressured to capture

exactly what they saw.