8 - Photography as Art: Looking at the Images and the Arguments

Summary

The debate over whether photography was an art was an emotive one in Victorian times. Arguments were expressed for and against but many influences were at play and it was acknowledged that there was a close interrelationship between photography and art.

Thomas Annan's preparatory sketch for his photograph of Linlithgow Palace (Figure 7.15), shows that he was aware of the principles of composition in the graphic arts and that he applied these in his photographs. There was artistic intention in the work Annan produced. Although this chapter specifically concentrates on art and photography, this has been a theme throughout the book and this reflects how attitudes to photography as art have changed.

There is no doubt that photography in Victorian times was an art form, although it was not always recognised and appreciated as such. That it was an art can be determined by a number of considerations, including; the intention of the photographer, the images produced and the effect on the viewer. Photography did establish its own aesthetic terms and become a means of artistic expression.