oil print, 1909 by Pierre Dubreuil
Pierre Dubreuil was one of most widely exhibited Pictorialist photographers of his day, and his work was typified by both technical mastery and artistic innovation. Like most of his photographic colleagues, Dubreuil had experimented with the full range of processes then available in the early 20th century, including platinum, carbon, and gum bichromate. In 1904, however, he discovered the Rawlins oil process. While this process was a demanding one, it had the advantage of allowing Dubreuil a great deal of control over the final appearance of his photographs; the resultant prints had the added benefit of being permanent. Dubreuil quickly mastered the intricacies of the process, and used it throughout his career.
