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Léonard Misonne
Belgian photographer From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Léonard Misonne (French: [leɔnaʁ mizɔn]; 1 July 1870 – 14 September 1943) was a Belgian pictorialist photographer. He is known for his landscapes and street scenes with atmospheric skies.
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Early life
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.[1][2] He studied Greek and humanities in Charleroi[3][1] before going to the Université catholique de Louvain where he got a degree in mining engineering.[4] However, he did not become a mining engineer in the long term.[3][5][a]
Photography
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Misonne is best known for his atmospheric photographs of landscapes and street scenes, with light as a key feature,[6] and as a pioneer of pictorialism.[5][7] 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."[4] He was nicknamed "the Corot of photography".[8][9]
Misonne devoted himself to photography from 1896,[1] joining the Belgian Photography Association in 1897.[10][5] He became a leading light in pictorialism, frequently exhibiting his photographs at exhibitions.[4][3] He also did slide shows.[5] Much of his photography was in Belgium and the Netherlands,[8] but he also visited London, France, Germany and Switzerland. The German occupation of Belgium during World War II greatly restricted his photography.[5]
Techniques
Misonne would often photograph things that were strongly illuminated from behind, producing a halo effect.[10] He would also retouch the lighting effects in his photographs,[8] experimenting with and using many techniques, such as the Fresson process and later the bromoil and mediobrome processes.[9][11][4] He also invented the "flou-net" and "photo-dessin" processes.[7][10][3]
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Personal life
Misonne married Louise Valentine Lambin in 1906, and they had several children.[15][b] He supported himself with the family fortune.[7]
Misonne was a keen cyclist, winning some races.[7]
Misonne suffered severely from asthma throughout his life, and died in Gilly in 1943.[5][8]
Bibliography
Gallery
- By the mill, 1910s
- At sunset
- Rainy day, 1930s
- Exit from Namur station
- Waterloo Place, London, 1899
- Tree in the mist, 1910s
- Strolling with a parasol, 1910s
- Rainy street with tram in Brussels, 1937
Notes
References
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