In which decade did Cunningham move away from Pictorialist styles?

In which decade did Cunningham move away from Pictorialist styles?

• A. 1910s
• B. 1920s
• C. 1930s
• D. 1940s

Answer: (B)

Cunningham’s move reflects a broader shift in photography from painterly, manipulated images to a clearer, more objective modern look. Pictorialist work often used soft focus, elaborate printing, and romanticized subjects to imitate painting. By the 1920s, photographers embraced straight photography—sharp focus, simple, strong geometry, and honest portrayal of the subject—aligning with modernist ideas about form and truth in the image. That decade is when Cunningham transitions away from the pictorialist approach and toward these modernist conventions, which is why the 1920s is the right answer.

Cunningham’s move reflects a broader shift in photography from painterly, manipulated images to a clearer, more objective modern look. Pictorialist work often used soft focus, elaborate printing, and romanticized subjects to imitate painting. By the 1920s, photographers embraced straight photography—sharp focus, simple, strong geometry, and honest portrayal of the subject—aligning with modernist ideas about form and truth in the image. That decade is when Cunningham transitions away from the pictorialist approach and toward these modernist conventions, which is why the 1920s is the right answer.