Odalesque 1899

Charles Berg's "Odalesque" is a photograph, likely made using a process like platinum or gum bichromate printing which were popular at the time. These techniques allowed for a handmade quality, where the photographer could manipulate the image’s tones and textures. Looking at the surface, the warm sepia tones and soft focus give the image a dreamy, almost painterly quality. The process involves coating paper with light-sensitive emulsion, exposing it to light, and then developing it to reveal the image. Each print is unique because of this hands-on approach. Berg was clearly thinking about photography as more than just documentation, but as a means of artistic expression, aligning himself with the Pictorialist movement, who advocated for photography to be considered amongst fine art. This approach elevated photography from a purely commercial endeavor to a creative practice, where skill and artistic vision were valued. Ultimately, understanding the process by which "Odalesque" was made allows us to appreciate the photograph not just as a captured image, but as a carefully crafted object, blurring the lines between photography, craft, and fine art.