Lelies by Charles Messaz

Lelies before 1902

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aged paper

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paperlike

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editorial typography

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hand drawn type

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personal sketchbook

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hand-drawn typeface

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journal

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fading type

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thick font

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handwritten font

Dimensions: height 148 mm, width 109 mm

Copyright: Rijks Museum: Open Domain

Charles Messaz made this photograph of Lilies sometime between 1866 and 1928. Photography as a medium has always sat in an uneasy place in the art world. The traditional art world emphasizes the unique touch of the artist and the "aura" of a painting or sculpture that can't be exactly replicated. Photography, on the other hand, from its very beginning, has been tied to mechanical reproduction. Each print can look identical to another, seemingly untouched by human hands. But this is not quite true. In the darkroom, artists can dodge and burn images, subtly manipulating the contrast and balance of light, bringing out details in the lilies and obscuring others. Messaz's Lilies is a reminder that even in the most mechanical of art forms, the artist's hand is always at work. Understanding the material processes, the way darkroom techniques were used to enhance the natural beauty of the flowers, opens up avenues for discussing the photograph as a carefully crafted object.

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