The advent of the nineteenth century brought considerable changes to the art world. Paintings were becoming much less figurative and much more expressionist. At the same time, the medium of photography was in development. The style of photography was largely influenced by painting and in return painting was influenced by the new medium of photography.
Snowstorm: Hannibal and His Army Crossing the Alps is a painting by Joseph Mallord William Turner. It was completed in 1812 and is a work in the medium of oil on canvas. It is currently housed in the Tate Galeery in London, England. The piece itself is quite large, measuring at four feeet, nine inches by seven feet, nine inches in size.
Snowstorm: Hannibal and His Army Crossing the Alps is an excellent example of Joseph Mallord William Turner’s work, which was significantly less figurative then previous generations of artists. Joseph Mallord William Turner painted in such a free manner, that some of his paintings look like abstract works. In the case of Snowstorm: Hannibal and His Army Crossing the Alps, you first notice the color, movement, and emotion of the piece prior to noticing any figurative elements.
Joseph Mallord William Turner intentionally created such expressionist works. He really rejected underpaintings and accuracy of the landscape. Snowstorm: Hannibal and His Army Crossing the Alps was meant to add a romantic mood to the story of Hannibal crossing the Alps. It is believe that he intended the painting to be a commentary on the Napoleonic Wars, which were happening during his time.
While Joseph Mallord William Turner was taking liberties with painting in a more expressionist style, other mediums were developing. One of those new mediums for the nineteenth century was the advent of photography. On photographer in particular, Julia Margaret Cameron, created a photo title Portrait of Thomas Carlyle that in many ways mimicked the expressionist style of Joseph Mallord William Turner.
Portrait of Thomas Carlyle was taken in 1863. It is a silver print that is ten inches by eight inches. It is housed at the Royal Photographic Society in London, England. The subject of the photo is Thomas Carlyle, as the title alludes to. The photo is in black and white, which was standard for the time. In the photo, Thomas has a very stern, serious look on his face. He is an older gentleman and has light grey hair and a beard and mustache in a similar tone. He is wearing clothes that were considered more dressy for the time.
Portrait of Thomas Carlyle in many ways echoes Snowstorm: Hannibal and His Army Crossing the Alps due to the style the photo was taken in. The photo is slightly blurry and the rendering of the image is not the best. This is largely due to the camera technology that was present at the time, however stylistically it adds a fun twist that makes it more similar to a painting by Joseph Mallord William Turner.
While painting undoubtedly influenced photography, photography certainly influenced painting. This is evident with the advent of much more highly realistic works in painting. One such piece, Plowing in the Nivernais: The Dressing of the Vines is a work by Rosa Bonheur. It was created in the medium of oil paint over stretched canvas. It was completed in 1849. It is a very large piece, measuring at five feet, nine inches by eight feet, eight inches in size. It is housed at the Musee d’Orsay in Paris, France.
Plowing in the Nivernais: The Dressing of the Vines is a highly realistic piece that was undoubtedly influence by photography. The painting depicts a scene where a few ranchers are hearding cattle. The level of detail and accuracy within the painting is astounding. Rosa Bonheur was a large fan of writing and poetry and it is said that the inspiration for Plowing in the Nivernais: The Dressing of the Vines derived from a written piece.
Snowstorm: Hannibal and His Army Crossing the Alps, Portrait of Thomas Carlyle, Plowing in the Nivernais: The Dressing of the Vines are three wonderful works of art from the nineteenth century. Although two of the works were painting and one was photography, it is easy to see how one work influenced the next. Although painting and photography are significantly different mediums, these nineteenth century works show how one medium can play off the other.
