Fontainebleau, Barbizon - the relationships between painters and photographers 
  
Images selected by
Alan Griffiths
 
With photography being announced in 1839 and the patent for oil paints in tubes being granted to John Goffe Rand in 1841 the artistic worlds were aligned. Many of the early photographers in France were also painters or mingled with the artistic community and the opening of a railway line from Paris to Fontainbleau in 1849 improved access to the mighty oak forests. The woods of Fontainbleau and the nearby villages of Barbizon, Marlotte and Chailly provided the setting for bi-directional visual explorations. The artists who could now use oil paints "en pleine air" more easily learnt visual truths from the photographers but at the same time the photographers learnt how to select the boundaries of an image from the painters.
 
The photographs selected for this online exhibition examine these connections.
 
Thanks for all the institutions and individuals who have assisted with this exhibition. 
  
Introduction