Léonard Misonne (1870–1943) was a Belgian pictorialist photographer. He is known for his landscapes and street scenes with atmospheric skies.
Born to a wealthy family in Gilly, Belgium in 1870, Léonard Misonne was one of many children of Adèle Pirmez and lawyer and industrialist Louis Misonne. He studied Greek and humanities in Charleroi before going to the Université Catholique de Louvain where he got a degree in mining engineering. However, he did not become a mining engineer in the long term.
Misonne is best known for his atmospheric photographs of landscapes and street scenes, with light as a key feature, and as a pioneer of pictorialism. According to the Directory of Belgian Photographers, "Misonne’s work is characterised by a masterly treatment of light and atmospheric conditions. His images express poetic qualities, but sometimes slip into an anecdotal sentimentality." He was nicknamed "the Corot of photography".
Misonne devoted himself to photography from 1896, joining the Belgian Photography Association in 1897. He became a leading light in pictorialism, frequently exhibiting his photographs at exhibitions. He also did slide shows. Much of his photography was in Belgium and the Netherlands, but he also visited London, France, Germany and Switzerland. The German occupation of Belgium during World War II greatly restricted his photography.
Misonne would often photograph things that were strongly illuminated from behind, producing a halo effect. He would also retouch the lighting effects in his photographs, experimenting with and using many techniques, such as the Fresson process and later the bromoil and mediobrome processes. He also invented the "flou-net" and "photo-dessin" processes.
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Mr. Léonard Misonne
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Inondation à Paris
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Route poussiéreuse
1897
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Au coucher du soleil
1899
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Au coucher du soleil
1899
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Brouillard et Poussière
1908
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Glacé
1908
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Madame Misonne à la Maison Misonne à Gilley, Belgique
1910
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Paysage de Campagne
1910
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Retour du marché
1910
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Returning from the market
1910
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Matinée de printemps
1912
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Aurore
1920
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Le Grand Peuplier
1924
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Ornières de neige
1925
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Vive Lumière (Châtelet)
1925
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Paysage enneigé
1927
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Jour de pluie
1930
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Namur de nuit
1930
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Sans titre
1930
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La tempête arrive
1932
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Ornières sous la neige
1932
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Les Vieillards, Bruges
1934
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Glaces sur la Meuse
1935
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La Belle Batelière
1935
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Vieux Toits (Osterspai)
1937
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Sortie de la gare de Namur
1038
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Splendeur de la boue
1938
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Une tempête arrive
1930
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Des gens heureux
1940
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Londres
1941
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Country Women Stopping to Converse on a Village Road in Belgium
1943
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Hiver en Campinne
1943
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Sans titre
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Sans titre
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I especially love "Country Women Conversing..." It really shows their humanity, even from a distance!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful images ..
ReplyDelete