The rise of Impressionism in 19th-century painting and the invention of the calotype process in photography in the 1830s may seem worlds apart, but these movements share a profound kinship.
Each emerged as a response to rigid artistic conventions, favoring mood, atmosphere, and fleeting moments over detail and realism. This article explores the history of both Impressionism and the calotype and salt printing processes, drawing comparisons that reveal a shared artistic vision focused on capturing the intangible qualities of light, time, and feeling.
I wrote this article because I have always admired French artists like Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edgar Degas, Camille Pissarro, and many others. These painters have influenced how I see the world.
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Part I: The Calotype and Salt Printing Process
Origins and Development
In 1841, British scientist and inventor William Henry Fox Talbot introduced the calotype, a groundbreaking photographic process that used calotype paper negatives rather than positive metal plates. Talbot sought to create a method for capturing images that could be reproduced, setting the calotype apart from the daguerreotype, the dominant photographic process of the time. The calotype process allowed multiple prints to be made from a single negative and enabled photographers to experiment with artistry and expression.
The calotype technique began with coating a sheet of paper with silver iodide. Once exposed to light in a camera, the paper was developed using gallic acid, resulting in a paper negative. Talbot then devised the salt printing process, whereby he could produce positive prints by placing the calotype negative onto a sheet of salted paper coated with silver chloride. This process introduced a range of textures and tonal qualities that felt painterly, giving calotypes a soft, atmospheric quality.
Technical Process
Creating a calotype involved multiple steps that demanded patience and precision. The initial preparation of the paper required sensitizing with silver nitrate and potassium iodide. After exposure in the camera, the paper negative was treated with gallic acid to reveal the image, a process that left the calotype slightly grainy and soft. In a previous article, I shared a more technical and chemistry overview of the calotype workflow. In a recent article, I shared a behind-the-scenes video of how I make handmade calotype paper negatives.
The salt print, made by contact printing the negative onto salted paper, emphasized this softness, producing tones that ranged from warm browns to sepias, depending on the specific chemistry and exposure.
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Reception and Impact
While some early adopters embraced the calotype’s artistic qualities, others criticized its lack of clarity compared to the highly detailed daguerreotype. Yet, for those interested in mood and expression, calotypes offered unique visual qualities that felt closer to painting than photography.
Early Pictorialist photographers, drawn to the aesthetic possibilities of texture and tone, found the calotype a fitting medium for artistic exploration, helping to bridge the worlds of photography and fine art. I share those feelings today as a 21st-century photographer specializing in early 19th-century workflows.
Part II: The Rise of Impressionism
Origins and Artistic Vision
Impressionism emerged in the 1860s as a radical departure from the academic art standards of the time. French artists like Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Edgar Degas sought to capture the essence of a scene rather than its precise details. They focused on light, movement, and atmosphere, often choosing to paint outdoors to capture the natural play of light and color in real time.
Impressionist works emphasized quick, expressive brushstrokes, capturing the impression of a scene rather than a meticulously detailed view. Their work was initially met with criticism for its unfinished, “sketch-like” quality, yet this approach laid the groundwork for modern art, emphasizing subjectivity and perception over realism.
Techniques and Influences
Impressionist artists often painted en plein air (in the open air), focusing on scenes from everyday life, from sunlit landscapes to bustling city streets. To convey the effects of natural light, they used quick, broken brushstrokes and juxtaposed complementary colors, creating a vibrant surface that seemed to flicker with movement. This approach enabled artists to capture not only the scene but the sensory experience of the moment.
Challenges and Legacy
Impressionism faced harsh critique when it first emerged, largely due to its departure from the controlled, refined style of academic painting. Over time, however, it grew into one of the most influential movements in art history, reshaping how artists perceived light, color, and composition. The Impressionists’ dedication to capturing a moment in time mirrored the transient, subjective nature of memory itself, a philosophy that resonates with the calotype’s pursuit of the ephemeral.
Part III: Core Comparisons Between Calotype Photography and Impressionism
Focus on Atmosphere and Mood
Both calotype paper negatives/salt prints and Impressionist paintings prioritize mood and atmosphere. The textures of calotype paper create a soft, diffuse quality, just as Impressionist brushstrokes convey fleeting impressions of light and color. Each medium sacrifices precise detail for an evocative, atmospheric feel that invites viewers to engage emotionally rather than analytically.
Embracing Imperfections and Spontaneity
Impressionists celebrated visible brushstrokes, seeing beauty in texture and spontaneity, while calotypes embraced paper’s textures and the chemistry’s unpredictable qualities. The natural imperfections of the calotype process, like uneven tones and grain, became a defining feature, much like the deliberate looseness of Impressionist paintings. Both art forms found meaning in the handmade quality of their work, valuing immediacy over perfection.
Capturing the Ephemeral
Impressionism sought to capture the transient effects of light, season, and time, favoring “snapshots” of a moment in motion. The calotype similarly captures a specific instant, but one influenced by environmental conditions, lighting, and development choices. Each print reflects subtle changes, echoing the Impressionists’ desire to capture life in flux rather than static scenes.
Natural Color and Tonality
While Impressionists used vibrant colors to reflect natural light, calotypes, with their monochromatic tones, also convey a natural aesthetic. The salt print’s warm, brown/sepia tones align with the Impressionists’ palettes, evoking an earthy quality that feels connected to nature. The tonality of calotype prints reflects an expressive range within a limited palette, much as the Impressionists found depth in limited color schemes.
Richness of Color and Warmth
One of the defining features of Impressionist painting is its use of rich, layered colors to capture light and atmosphere. By layering complementary colors and embracing the warm hues of natural light, Impressionist paintings evoke a richness and warmth that resonate emotionally with viewers. Similarly, the salt printing process produces warm, sepia-toned images with a depth that is unique to analog processes. This warmth aligns with the earthy colors Impressionists favored, creating a subtle, emotional appeal in calotype prints that echoes the effect of Impressionist color palettes. Both mediums draw viewers in with organic and resonant tones, connecting deeply with the viewer’s sense of place and time.
Slow, Intentional Process
The calotype process required patience and attention, as each step—from coating the paper to developing the negative—demanded careful handling. Impressionism also relied on intentionality, with artists closely observing and quickly responding to changes in light. Both processes necessitate a commitment to the moment, embedding the artist’s experience in the final image.
Challenge to the Status Quo
Impressionism and the calotype/salt process each represented a departure from tradition. Impressionism rejected academic ideals, favoring personal perception over photorealistic detail. Though not as sharp as the daguerreotype, the calotype allowed for artistic expression that felt more like drawing or painting than mechanical reproduction. Both movements challenged the notion of what art could be, valuing expression and interpretation over conventional standards.
Conclusion
While the Impressionist painters and calotype photographers worked in different mediums, their shared goals reveal a deeper connection. Both sought to capture the essence of a moment, the fleeting qualities of light, atmosphere, and experience, often at the expense of fine detail. In an age of high-definition imagery, these two methods remind us of the beauty in imperfection in art that leaves room for interpretation. The Impressionists and early photographers alike invite us to look beyond the surface, encouraging us to experience the soul of a scene rather than its surface.
Darkroom Diary Premium Members receive exclusive access to my technical notes, presentations, videos, and chemistry notes used to create handmade calotype paper negatives, wet plate collodion negatives, and salt prints.
Consider becoming a premium member to support my monthly creative and technical articles and videos dedicated to analog photography. Your membership directly helps me continue publishing unique, high-quality content exclusively for analog photography enthusiasts like you.
