The Hillside c. 1898

Clarence H. White made this platinum print called 'The Hillside' in the United States at the turn of the 20th century. It depicts two women dressed in long gowns in a rural setting, one kneeling and the other reclining against a tree. White was a key figure in the Photo-Secession movement, which advocated for photography to be recognized as a fine art. Images like this one encouraged viewers to appreciate photography as an aesthetic form. Here, the soft focus and tonal range create an ethereal, dreamlike effect, very typical of pictorialism. Understanding the institutional context of photography at the time helps us appreciate the radical nature of White's artistic project. He deliberately distanced his work from the commercial and documentary functions of photography, instead aligning it with painting and sculpture. By looking at exhibition records, critical reviews, and the writings of White and his contemporaries, we can understand the social forces that shaped the production and reception of art photography in this period. This highlights how art is embedded in its own time.