The Photograph

Graham Clarke

Oxford History of Art

In this rich and fascinating work, Graham Clarke illuminates the photograph's historical development. From the first misty "heliograph" taken by Joseph Nicephore Niepce in 1826 to the classic compositions of Cartier-Bresson and Alfred Steiglitz and the striking postmodern strategies of Robert Mapplethorpe, Clarke provides a groundbreaking examination of photography's main subject areas--landscape, the city, portraiture, the body, and reportage. With 130 illustrations, The Photograph offers an up-to-date introduction to the history of photography.

The Photograph

Graham Clarke

Oxford History of Art

Description

How do we read a photograph? In this rich and fascinating work, Graham Clarke gives a clear and incisive account of the photograph's historical development, and elucidates the insights of the most engaging thinkers on the subject, such as Roland Barthes and Susan Sontag. From the first misty "heliograph" taken by Joseph Nicephore Niepce in 1826 to the classic compositions of Cartier-Bresson and Alfred Steiglitz and the striking postmodern strategies of Robert Mapplethorpe, Clarke provides a groundbreaking examination of photography's main subject areas--landscape, the city, portraiture, the body, and reportage--as well as a detailed analysis of exemplary images in terms of their cultural and ideological contexts. With over 130 illustrations, The Photograph offers a series of discussions of major themes and genres providing an up-to-date introduction to the history of photography and creating a record of the most dazzling, penetrating, and pervasive images of our time.

The Photograph

Graham Clarke

Oxford History of Art

Introduction
Chapter 1: What is a Photograph?
Chapter 2: How Do We Read a Photograph?
Chapter 3: Photography and the Nineteenth Century
Chapter 4: Landscape in Photography
Chapter 5: The City in Photography
Chapter 6: The Portrait in Photography
Chapter 7: The Body in Photography
Chapter 8: Documentary Photography
Chapter 9: The Photograph as Fine Art
Chapter 10: The Photograph Manipulated
Chapter 11: The Cabinet of Infinite Curiosities
Notes
List of Illustrations
Bibliographic Essay
Timeline
Glossary
Index

The Photograph

Graham Clarke

Oxford History of Art

Author Information

Graham Clarke, Reader in Literary and Image Studies at the University of Kent, Canterbury, serves on the advisory board of the journal, History of Photography. His recent publications include The Portrait in Photography and The American City: Literary & Cultural Perspectives.