Long Chinsan: The Founder of Pictorialism and the First Chinese Nude Photographer (19 photos)

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Long Chin-San is one of the most unusual photographers in the history of this art form. He is considered the founder of Chinese photojournalism and the country's first erotic photographer. This master is often called the "father of Asian photography," and this is no exaggeration. Long Chin-San lived to be 102 years old, 80 of which he spent with a camera in hand, constantly experimenting and creating something new. In 1980, the Photographic Society of America named him one of the 10 most outstanding photographers in the world.

Long Chinsan was born in 1892 in Huai'an County, Jiangsu Province. His photojournalistic career began in 1911, when, at the age of 19, he was hired as a reporter for the Shen Bao newspaper. The photographer quickly developed his distinctive, recognizable style, based on classical Chinese painting. His laconic, misty landscapes began to be published in major Chinese magazines.

The master believed that photography must be manipulated. Only then, in his opinion, can a work become not just a documentary print, but a work of art. Long Chinsan was a pioneer in many areas. For example, he took the first erotic photograph in Chinese history, "Meditation," which was published in 1928.

The scandalous photograph "Meditation." 1928

The photographer was reviled in Chinese society, where strict morals reigned. The model posing for the photograph was beaten by her father. But this didn't stop Long Chin-sun, and he continued to take nude portraits of women, though he was more discreet in his choice of models. In 1930, he again became a pioneer, publishing a book of erotic photographs, "Nude Photographs," in his own country.

Long Chin-sun's Pictorealism

But Chin-sun is known for more than just his female portraits. He gained far greater fame for his landscape photographs. The photographer enhanced them manually, retouching and adding new details. He called his style "pictorealism" and, as you might guess, once again became a pioneer. Chin-sun said:

"Man has created art to perfect nature."

Therefore, he boldly combined painting and photography, creating unique masterpieces. Long Chinsan mentored a huge number of talented photographers, who today form the core of the Chinese school of landscape photography. His most famous student is Don Hong-Oai, whose works are sometimes indistinguishable from his mentor's.

Long Chinsan died at the age of 103 in 1995 in Taipei. He was married four times and had 15 children. Long Yuwen, the photographer's daughter, donated 134 of his best photographs to the National Art Museum of China. These photographs are now considered part of the country's national treasures and are priceless.

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Long Jinsan forever etched his name in the history of photography, boldly experimenting and pushing the boundaries of art. His work continues to evoke admiration and debate: was he a provocateur or an innovator? Do you believe photographers should intervene in reality, creating artificial images, or should photography remain a purely documentary reflection of the world? Share your opinion in the comments!