Сhildin the Image or Image of Achild : Russian Child Portrait in Painting and Photography of the Late 19 th − Early 20 th Century

Abstract

The stylistics of the child portrait in Russia in the 1850s – early 20th century underwent significant changes due to the emergence of photography (light painting). From the very beginning of its era, the 1850s, early photography borrowed composition, means of expression, and attributes from painting. Towards the end of the century, artists began to pay attention to the achievements of portrait photography, striving to depict children not in a staged way, but rather in moments of play, studies and rest, taking heed of photographic effects, in particular, cropped and “blurred” compositions. Many Russian artists used photo sketches, rethinking and re-creating the image of a child in their works. At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, the child portrait turned into an expressive medium of the artist’s self. By contrast, child photography focused on a specific child, with an emphasis on the continued documentation of the stages of his or her growth and development. The art form experienced further technical improvement, which led to the flourishing of the child photo portrait in the subsequent periods.