D.O. Hill and W.B. Johnstone

Art Historical Context

**D.O. Hill and W.B. Johnstone** (1843–47) is a captivating salted paper print from a paper negative, created by pioneering Scottish partnership of David Octavius Hill and Robertson. Housed in The Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of Photographs, this work captures the two men—Hill, a prominent painter, and Johnstone, a fellow artist—in a poised portrait that exemplifies early photographic portraiture. The calotype process, using paper negatives, allowed for subtle tonal gradations and artistic softness, marking a shift from painting to this revolutionary medium. Hill and Adamson's collaboration from 1843 to 1848 produced over 2,500 images, blending Hill's painterly vision with Adamson's technical mastery of the calotype, invented by William Henry Fox Talbot just a few years earlier. This technique's significance lies in its reproducibility and painterly quality, bridging art and science during photography's infancy. Their portraits, often of Scottish luminaries, documented a vibrant cultural moment. As a self-referential image featuring Hill himself alongside Johnstone, it highlights the era's spirit of artistic camaraderie. Acquired through the Harris Brisbane Dick Fund in 1937, this print invites visitors to appreciate how 19th-century innovators like Hill and Adamson laid the groundwork for modern photography's enduring legacy.

About the Artist

David Octavius Hill|Robert Adamson|Hill and Adamson · 1802–1870

David Octavius Hill (1802–1870) was a Scottish painter, photographer, and arts administrator whose pioneering photography partnership with Robert Adamson from 1843 to 1847 transformed the medium into an art form. Born in Perth and trained in Edinburgh, Hill established himself as a landscape painter and became secretary of the Royal Scottish Academy, a position he held for nearly forty years. His ...