Hans in a Meadow

With its soft texture, large scale, and luminescent tones, this photograph by Heinrich Kühn could easily be mistaken for a watercolor or pastel drawing. Kühn was a vocal champion for considering photography as an art and sought to separate his photographs from the quickly made, sharp-focused snapshots by everyday amateurs.

Here, Kühn’s son Hans lies peering over the top of a grassy meadow. Kühn used his four children as models, directing their poses and even dressing them in specific colors like white, black, blue, or red to create maximum contrast in the final print.