EPRIS
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est. 2026 · a division of the journal
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Pictorialism

photography arguing it is art

The generation that softened the lens on purpose. Photographs printed in platinum and gravure so the plate would behave like a drawing and be taken as seriously as one.

works 12artists 7dates 1877 – 1903entry free
← all halls
A work made of lantern slide.
Key work of the hall Frederick H. Evans Ely Cathedral: Prior's Door, with Bedesman 1891 · Lantern slide
Gift of Robert A. Taub
Art Institute of Chicago · public domain
A work made of lantern slide.
Frederick H. Evans Ely Cathedral: Galilee Porch, Door into Nave c. 1891 · Lantern slide
England · 8.2 × 8.2 cm
Gift of Robert A. Taub
Art Institute of Chicago · public domain
A work made of lithograph, plate 18 from the book "the old closes & streets of glasgow" (1900).
James Craig Annan Trongate in the Olden Time 1900 · Lithograph, plate 18 from the book "The Old Closes & Streets of Glasgow" (1900)
Scotland · Image: 16.1 × 23.9 cm
Simeon B. Williams Endowment
Art Institute of Chicago · public domain
A work made of photogravure.
Alfred Stieglitz A Venetian Canal 1894, printed 1897 · Photogravure
United States · Image/paper: 26.2 × 18.3 cm
Alfred Stieglitz Collection
Art Institute of Chicago · public domain
Photograph of a young girl in a doorwary wearing a black dress and a woman in a long, draping garment with her arm around her.
Gertrude Käsebier Blessed Art Thou Among Women, from "American Pictorial Photography, Series II" (1901); edition 34/150 1899 · Photogravure
United States · Image: 23.7 × 14.1 cm
Gift of Daniel, Richard, and Jonathan Logan
Art Institute of Chicago · public domain
A work made of photogravure.
Alfred Stieglitz A Wet Day on the Boulevard, Paris 1894, printed c. 1897 · Photogravure
New York · Image: 15.3 × 28.4 cm
Alfred Stieglitz Collection
Art Institute of Chicago · public domain
A work made of photogravure.
F. Holland Day Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty, No. 1 from the portfolio "American Pictorial Photography, Series I" (1899); edition 146/150 1896/97 · Photogravure
United States · Image, curved top: 19.5 × 17.5 cm
Gift of Daniel, Richard, and Jonathan Logan
Art Institute of Chicago · public domain
A work made of photogravure, "sun artists, number 2" (1890).
Henry Peach Robinson Carolling 1887, printed January 1890 · Photogravure, "Sun Artists, Number 2" (1890)
England · Image: 11.6 × 18.2 cm
Purchased with funds provided by Lucia Woods
Art Institute of Chicago · public domain
A work made of photogravure.
F. Holland Day Ebony and Ivory, No. 8 from the portfolio "American Pictorial Photography, Series I" (1899); edition 146/150 1897 · Photogravure
United States · Image/paper: 16.8 × 14.4 cm
Gift of Daniel, Richard, and Jonathan Logan
Art Institute of Chicago · public domain
A work made of photogravure.
James Craig Annan Stirling Castle c. 1903 · Photogravure
Scotland · Image: 19.4 × 28.2 cm
Alfred Stieglitz Collection
Art Institute of Chicago · public domain
A work made of photogravure, from "sun artists, number 2" (1890).
Henry Peach Robinson When the Day's Work is Done 1877, printed January 1890 · Photogravure, from "Sun Artists, Number 2" (1890)
England · Image: 12.6 × 18 cm
Purchased with funds provided by Lucia Woods
Art Institute of Chicago · public domain
A work made of photogravure.
Clarence H. White Spring, No. 18 from the portfolio "American Pictorial Photography, Series I" (1899); edition 146/150 1898 · Photogravure
United States · 11.5 × 1.6 cm; 13.6 × 6.3 cm; 11.5 × 1.6 cm
Gift of Daniel, Richard, and Jonathan Logan
Art Institute of Chicago · public domain

Where you are

Pictorialism in time, then in the building.
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1400 1500 1600 1700 1800 1900 2000 01 Renaissance and Before 1434 – 1610 02 The Seventeenth Century 1610 – 1695 03 The Barbizon School 1857 – 1871 04 Realism 1822 – 1906 05 Impressionism 1866 – 1893 06 Post-Impressionism 1881 – 1907 07 Modernism 1891 – 1920 08 Ukiyo-e 1744 – 1837 09 Pictorialism 1877 – 1903 · you are here 10 Folk Art 1799 – 1871 Bar spans the earliest and latest work in the hall. Ticks are the individual dates in the hall you are in.
upper tier · +6.40 circulation spine void over court light drops to the tier below 06 Post-Impressionism 12 works · 18x12 m 07 Modernism 12 works · 18x12 m 08 Ukiyo-e 12 works · 16x12 m 09 Pictorialism 12 works · 18x10 m you are here 10 Folk Art 12 works · 16x10 m dn lower tier · +0.00 circulation spine court · open air 01 Renaissance and Before 12 works · 18x12 m 02 The Seventeenth Century 12 works · 18x12 m 03 The Barbizon School 7 works · 16x12 m 04 Realism 12 works · 18x10 m 05 Impressionism 12 works · 16x10 m up entrance 52 m 10 m N ▭ hall, width follows the size of the hang · ⌐ door · ▤ open-air court · ≡ stair upper tier · +6.40 circulation spine dn 06 Post-Impressionism 12 works 07 Modernism 12 works 08 Ukiyo-e 12 works 09 Pictorialism 12 works you are here 10 Folk Art 12 works lower tier · +0.00 circulation spine up 01 Renaissance and Before 12 works 02 The Seventeenth Century 12 works 03 The Barbizon School 7 works 04 Realism 12 works 05 Impressionism 12 works court · open air entrance 10 m N

Every work shown here is in the public domain and comes from the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago, published under its Open Access programme (CC0). Artist, title, date, medium and the museum’s own credit line are printed under each plate, and every plate links to the object record in Chicago. EPRIS Museum claims no rights in these images.