Lot n° 34
Estimation :
2000 - 3000
EUR
Léon Herlant (1873-1968) - 1 autochrome on Lumière plate", 1 - Lot 34
Léon Herlant (1873-1968) - 1 autochrome on Lumière plate", 12 x 9 cm. Micrographic autochrome, July 23, 1909, signed and annotated on a label "autochrome plate" on recto and "apochr Zeiss 8, oc. Comp. 4, Gross. 225, 23 juill '09" on verso. Taking his technical and artistic exploration to a whole new level, Léon Herlant took the bold step of taking a microscopic photograph of an autochrome, capturing the very essence of this revolutionary process. This experiment, carried out on July 23, 1909, revealed the intimate and fascinating structure of the autochrome surface, which the human eye does not normally perceive.
Through the microscope, the image takes on a new dimension: each colored point on the autochrome appears as a tiny, vibrant mosaic of pure colors, forming a rich, complex visual texture. This amplified vision refers directly to the research of Pointillist masters such as Théo van Rysselberghe, Georges Seurat, Paul Signac and Henry van de Velde, who, a few decades earlier, had explored the idea that light and color could be recreated by the juxtaposition of small dabs of paint.
By choosing to photograph the process itself in this way, Léon Herlant not only documents the technique, but also reveals its hidden beauty, the poetry of the material, and opens up a new artistic dimension to photography. This micrographic work, on the borderline between science and art, invites us to appreciate not only the image produced by the lens, but also the fundamental structure of the autochrome, offering an aesthetic reflection on light and color in the art of the early XXᵉ century.
The work, both scientific and aesthetic, transcends the simple technical framework to become a fascinating visual exploration of the intimacy of photographic matter, reminding us that autochrome, beyond its practical role, was part of the creative impetus and visual revolutions of the period. Herlant's fusion of scientific precision and artistic sensibility pays tribute to the innovative spirit of the early XXᵉ century.
Léon Herlant (1873-1968), a man who was both scientist and artist. A doctor of medicine and pharmacology, professor and chairman of the Faculty of Medicine at the Université Libre de Bruxelles from 1930 onwards, Herlant was the perfect example of the spirit of his time: curious, methodical and sensitive to the beauty of the world.
In addition to his scientific work - including a book co-written with G. Billen in 1896, Micrographie des poudres officinales - Léon Herlant was a passionate Autochrome photographer. His photographs reveal an intimate view of nature and everyday objects.
His works include superb snow-covered landscapes, tormented studies of trees, and still lifes of great finesse, where colors burst forth in delicate light.
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