Revista Punctum a publicat in primele trei editii un material amplu despre Carol Szathmari, in care au fost prezentate fotografiile de razboi, portretele etnografice si vedutele realizate de acesta. Va prezentam aici o serie de fotografii care au fost selectate pentru publicare pentru cele trei articole, dar au cazut la aranjarea in pagina din cauza spatiului limitat.
Carol Szathmari, primul mare fotograf din Tara Romaneasca s-a nascut la Cluj, la 11 ianuarie 1812. Desi avea cetatenie austriaca, Szathmari a preferat sa lucreze in Romania si a surprins schimbarile prin care a trecut tara sub conducerea a trei domnitori diferiti. El a urmat cursurile Colegiului Reformat din Cluj si l-a avut profesor de desen pe Samuel Nagy. Cu toate ca lucra la Vistierie si la Gubernia Ardeleneasca din Sibiu, unde facea naveta de doua ori pe saptamina, acest lucru nu l-a impiedicat sa devina ucenicul lui Franz Neuhauser, un pictor vienez stabilit in Sibiu si considerat in acea perioada cel mai bun pictor transilvanean. In atelierul lui a studiat portretistica, iar modelele sale au fost burghezii instariti si mosierii din imprejurimi.
Dupa o perioada de aproape 10 ani in care a calatorit prin Europa, Szathmari s-a stabilit definitiv in Bucuresti in 1843 si si-a deschis primul atelier foto pe ulita Vergului. El a creat aici unul dintre cele mai moderne ateliere din Europa. Din pacate, la patru ani dupa ce a deschis studioul, acesta a ars in intregime in cel mai devastator incendiu care a avut loc in Bucuresti. Fotograful a luat-o de la capat si a deschis un alt studio, pe un teren de la Podul Mogosoaiei (actuala Calea Victoriei). Aici avea vitrine si draperii care il ajutau sa regleze lumina naturala ce patrundea in interior.
In primul numar al revistei am publicat un material despre fotografiile de razboi realizate de Carol Szathmari. El a fost primul fotograf de razboi si a surprins in imagini atit Razboiul Crimeii (1853-1856), cit si Razboiul de Independenta (1877-1878). In 1853, Szathmari a inceput sa speculeze in scopuri artistice si comerciale Razboiul Crimeii: el a adunat o intreaga galerie de portrete de militari pe care ii invita la el in studio sau care veneau din proprie initiativa. O parte dintre aceste imagini se afla la Cabinetul de Stampe al Academiei Romane.
Cu toate ca atunci cind a inceput Razboiul de Independenta Szathmari avea 65 de ani, el a plecat pe front si a insotit cartierul general al domnitorului Carol I. El urmarea sa imortalizeze efectele bombardamentelor otomane, scenele de lupta si marsurile armatei, iar imaginile le trimitea mai multor publicatii romanesti si occidentale.
Inca din perioada Razboiului Crimeii, cind fotografiase in special militari, Carol Szathmari incepuse sa faca si portrete etnografice – un articol despre acest subiect gasiti in numarul al doilea al revistei Punctum. In Albumul Crimeii, primit cu entuziasm la Expozitia Universala de la Paris, din 1855, fotograful a inclus si citeva imagini specific romanesti, strecurate printre paginile cu portrete de soldati si ofiteri. Fotograful isi alegea modelele in zilele de tirg si aducea in studio negustori si tarani imbracati in portul de zi cu zi sau in cel de sarbatoare.
In citiva ani, Szathmari a reusit sa stringa chiar o bogata colectie de costume populare din diferite zone alte tarii. In 1862, el i-a facut cadou principesei Elena Cuza un album in care a strins o parte dintre aceste fotografii – Souvenir de la Roumanie. Dedié à Son Altesse Sérénissime Hélène, Principesse Régnante de la Roumanie, par Charles Pap de Szathmari, peintre et photographe de la Cour de son Altesse Sérénissime le Prince Régnant. Acesta este cel mai vechi album de fotografii al lui Szathmari pastrat in tara (se gaseste la Cabinetul de Stampe al Academiei Romane) si contine imagini cu valoare etnografica, dar si vederi panoramice din Bucuresti si peisaje.
Carol Szathmari a inceput sa faca in jurul anului 1860 o serie de vedute (peisaje cu natura din Romania sau imagini de tip vedere cu hanuri, biserici, poduri, gari sau diferite cartiere din Bucuresti). El a fost primul care a realizat imagini panoramice si a cautat unghiuri care sa ii permita o vedere de ansamblu – am scris pe larg despre acest subiect in numarul al treilea al revistei. Szathmari mergea adesea in Turnul Coltei, pe Dealul Mitropoliei, pe Dealul Spirii sau pe Dealul Filaret. Insa, dincolo de importanta documentara a imaginilor, Szathmari a reusit sa faca niste fotografii valoroase in sine prin care a reusit sa transmita atmosfera din Tara Romaneasca a secolului al XIX-lea.
In its first three editions, Punctum magazine published an extensive article about the Romanian nineteenth century photographer Carol Szathmari, an article divided in three chapters: the pictures of war, the panoramic views and the ethnographic portraits. We present here a series of pictures that weren’t publish in the magazine because of the limited space.
Carol Szathmari, the first great photographer from Wallachia, was born in Cluj, on the 11th of January 1812. Although he was an Austrian citizen, Szathmari preferred to work here and capture in his pictures the changes Wallachia undergone under the leadership of three different rulers. He attended the Calvin College in Cluj and his art teacher was Samuel Nagy. Although he worked for the Treasury and the Transylvanian Governorate of Sibiu, where he went regularly to and for, it didn’t stop him to become Franz Neuhauser’s disciple, a Viennese painter based in Sibiu and considered the best painter in Transylvania in that time. It is there where Szathmari studied portraiture, using the wealthy bourgeoisie and the landowners in the neighborhood as models.
After having traveled for 10 years throughout Europe, Szathmari settled in Bucharest in 1843 and opened his first photo studio on Vergului Street. There, he established one of the most modern photo studios in Europe. Unfortunately, four years after he had opened the studio, it burned entirely in the most devastating fire in Bucharest’s history. The photographer started it over again and opened another studio on Mogosoaia Bridge (now Victoria Road). There he had windows and curtains that helped him adjust the natural light.
In the first Punctum issue we published a chapter about the pictures of war taken by Carol Szathmari. He was the first war photographer and he photographed the Crimean War (1853-1856) and the War of Independence (1877-1878). In 1853, Szathmari began to use the Crimean War for artistic and commercial purposes: he gathered a whole gallery of portraits of soldiers whom he had invited to the studio or who had come there on their own. Some of these images are available at the Romanian Academy.
Although Szathmari was 65 when the War of Independence started, he went to the battlefield and joined the headquarters of Prince Carol I. He wanted to capture the effects of Ottoman army’s bombings, the military marches and the fight scenes. He was sending all these pictures to several Romanian and Western publications.
Since the Crimean War period, Szathmari started to shoot ethnographic portraits - an article on this subject was published in the second issue of Punctum magazine. In the Crimea Album, enthusiastically applauded at the Universal Exhibition in Paris, in 1855, the photographer included some pictures of Romanian folk costumes, among the portraits of soldiers and officers. The photographer was choosing his models during fair days and brought merchants and peasants dressed in their everyday or holiday clothes into the studio.
After a few years, Szathmari collected a large series of pictures with costumes from different parts of the country. In 1862, he gave an album with some of those pictures to the Princess Elena Cuza – an album called Souvenir de la Roumanie. Dedié à Son Altesse Sérénissime Hélène, Principesse Régnante de la Roumanie, par Charles Pap de Szathmari, peintre et photographe de la Cour de son Altesse Sérénissime le Prince Régnant. This is the oldest photo album of Szathmari preserved in the country (available at the Romanian Academy) and contains images of ethnographic value, but also panoramic views of Bucharest.
In 1860, Carol Szathmari started to photograph nature landscapes and panoramic views of inns, churches, bridges, stations and various districts of Bucharest. He was the first to shoot panoramic pictures and sought the angles that allowed him an overview – this subject is extensively described in the third issue of the magazine. Szathmari would often climb on Coltei Tower, on Metropolitan Hill or on Spirii and Filaret Hill. However, beyond the historic importance of his pictures, Szathmari has done some artistic valuable photographs through which he captured the atmosphere of the nineteenth century Wallachia.
