Julia Margaret Cameron: 1815-1879

Julia Margaret Cameron began her photography career late in her life at the age of 48 when she was given a camera as a gift from her daughter. After this, she became engulfed in this labour intensive practice of capturing the world around her for all its beauty. Her love was the portrait; the soft focus and closely framed face became something she was noted for. The relationships that her subjects take with the viewer is quite strong and striking. They interact with those who peer into their eyes, penetrating the photographic surface and being able to see into the actual person. Her portraits appear sculptural, the figures frozen in time, with the cool surface and colours of the wet plate. Harsh shadows create dramatic both harsh and soft features. In the photograph at the bottom of the list, the gentleman (Sir Henry Taylor) grasps his neck with his hand. His hand almost disappears within his beard and hair allowing the first focus to be upon his gaze, and then followed by the eye traveling down his nose, mouth until you reach his hand. His hand does not appear constricting nor does it feel comfortable and relaxed. It exists in this uncomfortable grasp, not quite a hand of "the thinker" with a chin gently resting upon it. 

Her work was at first an excellent tool to use to practice the drawing of portraiture for my own work. After more skills were obtained her work became a source of inspiration for the energy and softness her work depicts. 

Stepan Fedorovich Kolesnikov: 1879-1955

Stepan Fedorovich Kolesnikov was an Ukrainian artist studying under Ilya Repin. Many of his works depict the desolate landscape, free from human interaction or animal life. These landscapes however, are full of life, movement, emotion and energy. The trunks and branches of trees twist and sway, conveying a sense of emotional responses to the viewer. Even without their leaves, when life is lost to the cold, the trees live and stand tall, confident and full of individuality. When human and animal life are introduced within the composition, a relationship is formed and a narrative established. The landscape itself does not take on a secondary roll, nor do the individuals added. He gives them both a sense of equality and respect in his attempts to depict them in paint. The figures live in unison within the landscape and are humbled at its immensity and subtleties. The most incredible aspect of his works in my opinion (particularly the snow scenes) is how he captures shadows. The life and energy of the tree branches and trunks is projected onto the snow covered ground. The cool blues decorate the still snow as a delicate lace, extending the viewers eye into the distance as the mesh of blue veins combine into a whole. Finally, the brush strokes he uses are confident and purposeful but loose and broad. The interplay of colour creates incredible atmospheric affect. The most notable would be the lady in red with a basket against a wall. Here, the warm red tones of her clothing, ground and wall and subjected to a cool evening sky while the last light flickers in and dances upon the wall.