Untitled 

This photograph was made by Anne Brigman, using a process called gelatin silver printing. Brigman was part of the Pictorialist movement, who argued that photography could be just as artistic as painting or sculpture. So, instead of just documenting reality, Brigman manipulated light and shadow, to create an atmosphere. In this way, she imbued her work with social and cultural significance. The gelatin silver process, popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, involved coating paper with light-sensitive chemicals. The photographer then had to carefully control the exposure and development of the image to achieve the desired effect. The tools of photography, such as lenses, darkroom equipment, and specialized papers, became essential for crafting these ethereal images. Through her skilled use of photographic techniques, Brigman elevates photography to the level of fine art, blurring the boundaries between different creative disciplines, thus challenging the traditional hierarchy between fine art and craft.