blog 8

This piece represents the beginning of a whole new kind of art for society. With the invention of a new technology, camera obscura, artists were able to take the new fashion of Realism to its extreme and most pure form. I think that Realism caught on so fast because it was so new and controversial and exciting for artists in that they could now replicate what they were actually seeing, but still make the viewer see what is intended. Photographs, like any form of art, can be manipulated by the artist so the viewer will feel, understand or think in a new way. For Realism to really gain hold as a new trend in art, it required a new medium, like all other styles in the past. With photographs of actual people doing real life actions, it is hard for the artist to hide any imperfections or create perfections that were not there in reality. With painting and sculpture, it is up to the artists to best represent the subject so that when seen later, it can be recognized and analyzed. This is a very difficult thing to do when everything produced was done by individual persons with different backgrounds and styles, but with photos, the artist can be sure that who or what they are capturing will be that true representation.

I like this piece because although it is a realistic piece and produced through camera obscura, the theme still remains in history and is a moral subject that is not easily forgotten. I think that Rejilander knew that if he was going to use this new kind of medium, he was going to have to substantiate its products by proving that it can last through time also. It was a good idea to use something from the past to show skeptics and critics that the new camera obscura could relay the same messages and morals that any other type of medium could.