10/08/2026
At the turn of the twentieth century, the Pictorialists challenged the idea that photography was primarily documentary or commercial, championing it instead as an art form. SBMA's newest exhibit, "𝘚𝘵𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘊𝘳𝘢𝘧𝘵: 𝘗𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘗𝘩𝘰𝘵𝘰𝘨𝘳𝘢𝘱𝘩𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦," reveals how the Pictorialists staged scenes, collaborated with actors and dancers, and innovated new techniques, revolutionizing photography and influencing the visual language of early cinema.
IMAGE CREDITS:
James Walter Collinge, 𝘛𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘩𝘢𝘸𝘯, ca. 1926. Gelatin silver print. SBMA, Museum purchase, Photography Acquisition Funds, 2003.121.
Rudolf Eickemeyer Jr., 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 1901. Photogravure. SBMA, Museum purchase with funds provided by Michael G. Wilson and the Dana and Albert R. Broccoli Charitable Trust.
Ruth Harriet Louise, 𝘙𝘦𝘯é𝘦 𝘈𝘥𝘰𝘳é𝘦, 1928. Gelatin silver print. SBMA, Museum purchase with funds provided by Eric Skipsey, 2002.58.
Eleanor Fischer, 𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳, ca. 1935. Gelatin silver print. SBMA, Gift of Rick A. Cigel, 1997.90.33.
Karl Struss, C𝘊𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘌𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘧𝘳𝘰𝘮 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘚𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘥 𝘈𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘶𝘦 𝘌𝘭𝘦𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘕𝘦𝘸 𝘠𝘰𝘳𝘬, ca. 1912, printed 1977–78. Platinum print. SBMA, Museum purchase with funds provided by PhotoFutures in honor of Wm. Brian Little, 2001.47.5.
Louis Fleckenstein, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘵 𝘞𝘪𝘯𝘥, ca. 1920. Gelatin silver print. Loan from the Collection of Michael G. and C. Jane Wilson. Image courtesy of the Wilson Collection.
Artist unknown, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘪𝘵𝘵𝘭𝘦 𝘊𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘯 (𝘒𝘢𝘳𝘭 𝘚𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘴),1920. Gelatin silver print. Loan from the Collection of Michael G. and C. Jane Wilson. Image courtesy of the Wilson Collection.
Anne W. Brigman, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘉𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘻𝘦, ca. 1910. Gelatin silver print. SBMA, Museum purchase with funds provided by the SBMA Women's Board, 1995.19.2.
