William Mortensen (31 Images)

William Mortensen preferred the pictorialism style of manipulating photographs to produce romanticist painting-like effects. The style brought him criticism from straight photographers of the modern realist movement and, in particular, he carried on a prolonged written debate with Ansel Adams.
His arguments defending romanticism photography led him to be "ostracized from most authoritative canons of photographic history." In an essay, Larry Lytle wrote "Due to his approach—both technically and philosophically in opposition to straight or purist adherents — he is amongst the most problematic figures in photography in the twentieth-century... historians and critics have described his images as "...anecdotal, highly sentimental, mildly erotic hand-colored prints...", "...bowdlerized versions of garage calendar pin-ups and sadomasochist entertainments...", "...contrived set-ups and sappy facial expressions...", and finally he was described by Ansel Adams as alternately the "Devil", and "the anti-Christ.""
Pit and the Pendulum

The Heretic

The Vampire

Johan the Mad

Machiavelli

Nude With Peacock

The Priestess

Human Relations

Belphegor

L'Amour

Circe

Death of Hypathia

The Possessed

The Warlock

Venus and Vulcan

Self Portrait

Salomés

Salomés

Stamboul

Obsession

Nude Study

Cinderella

Rope Walker

Nude with Clock

An Anatomy Lesson

Nude with Demon

Chained Nude with Monk

Caprice Vennois

The Mark of the Borgia

Joyzelle

Art Studies from Zanzibar
