Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
A precursor to modern photography, the calotype, developed in 1841 by William Henry Fox Talbot, allows several positive images to be obtained from a single negative, produced on paper. This technique requires direct intervention by the author in the various stages of preparation and constant control during the manufacturing process, which, far from giving the images a mechanical character, gives them an almost magical appearance. Through the margin of interpretation it allows, through the interplay of opacity and transparency of the paper, often waxed or oiled, the calotype offers an airy, almost pictorial rendering—capable, according to texts of the time, of restoring "the roughness, the unevenness, and the immense variety of tones found in nature." In mid-19th century Italy, a country open to exchange and experimentation during the Grand Tour, artists and photographers adapted the techniques of paper negatives to the unique light of these regions, thus founding a specific aesthetic movement. In this digital age, this "praise of the negative" offers an almost archaeological perspective and essential references for understanding these incunabula of early photography in Italy.
Paris Museums, 2010
254 pages
9.4 × 11.4 inches
ISBN 9782759601165
A precursor to modern photography, the calotype, developed in 1841 by William Henry Fox Talbot, allows several positive images to be obtained from a single negative, produced on paper. This technique requires direct intervention by the author in the various stages of preparation and constant control during the manufacturing process, which, far from giving the images a mechanical character, gives them an almost magical appearance. Through the margin of interpretation it allows, through the interplay of opacity and transparency of the paper, often waxed or oiled, the calotype offers an airy, almost pictorial rendering—capable, according to texts of the time, of restoring "the roughness, the unevenness, and the immense variety of tones found in nature." In mid-19th century Italy, a country open to exchange and experimentation during the Grand Tour, artists and photographers adapted the techniques of paper negatives to the unique light of these regions, thus founding a specific aesthetic movement. In this digital age, this "praise of the negative" offers an almost archaeological perspective and essential references for understanding these incunabula of early photography in Italy.
Paris Museums, 2010
254 pages
9.4 × 11.4 inches
ISBN 9782759601165
