M. Adam Salomon, a sculptor of ability, a Chevalier of the Legion of Honour, took the photographic world by storm, by his portraits exhibited at the Paris Exhibition of 1867, and he continued, to practise it up to within a short time of his death. Let the best sculptors and painters be asked how they regard photography - especially when they are at work on posthumous works. Finally we will give here an opinion on photography as written by an able landscape painter - namely, T. F. Goodall

"Photography has undoubtedly played an important part in the development of modern art, both in figure and landscape. In landscapes we are inclined to think that the influence of photography was for a time hurtful, for this reason, painters were apt to emulate the detail of the photograph, and lose the breadth of man's view of Nature in consequence. They did not take into account the fact that the lens commonly used was a more powerful mechanism than the human eye, or that it reproduced at once every detail of a scene with more distinctness on the plate than the eye would on the retina, even if the attention was concentrated on one part only at a time, and that therefore the resulting picture was not a true representation of Nature, as impressed on the mind by human vision. But for artistic purposes this may be remedied, and it appears to us that photographers must take the point into consideration if they would use the camera as a means of artistic expression. Hitherto the chief aim of the photographer seems to have been a biting sharpness of detail in the negative, which is generally quite fatal to the result from an artistic point of view, for in breadth lies the beauty and sentiment of landscape. To produce a picture the photographer must select his lens and adjust his focus, so as to get an expression as nearly identical with the visual one as possible, and he must print in such good tone as will give the closest approximation to the values in nature. In all these matters the result will depend on the taste and intelligence of the author, and bear the impress of his mind. If that be commonplace, his negative will be so also; if artistic, so will be his picture. There is no reason why photography, in capable hands, may not be made a means of interpreting nature second only in value to painting itself, destined to supersede all other black and white methods in bringing an extended knowledge of and taste for art to the masses of the people. The prejudice existing against photography arises from the fact that hitherto it has been worked merely as a mechanical process; but if by results it can show that it is worthy, it will rank as a fine art. Dr. Emerson was the first to advocate rationally the claims of photography to this distinction, and, artists will admit, has by his subsequent work made good his position so far as his own productions are concerned, There should be a great future for photography if followed on really artistic lines. It should be hailed as a most powerful ally by the modern school of painting, as by means of it people may be taught to perceive how false are many of the pictures they believe in, and how much more beautiful and interesting is truth. From an art-educational point of view its value can scarcely be overrated; much has been done, by photogravure and other processes of reproduction, to spread a knowledge of pictures, and there is no reason why the same methods should not be used for original work. A good photogravure is to be preferred to a bad painting or second-rate engraving, and is incomparably better than the odious chrornos and wretched prints with which so many walls are disfigured.

If, instead of being satisfied with mere topographical views or foreground sketches, the photographer has cultivated artistic feeling, means are at his command for communicating to others what has impressed himself, and he may produce work of permanent value. Everything depends on what he finds to say and how he tells it. If the operator has artistic insight, it will show itself in his negative, just as it would on his canvas, if he were a painter. The mechanical and chemical processes, the practical judgment necessary in timing his exposures, the skill and knowledge necessary in developing his plates; these are his technique; but the art value of the result will depend on what he communicates to us by its aid. As long as his ideas of pictorial art are confined in landscape to views of churches and ruins, rustic bridges and waterfalls, or topographical views of the haunts of tourists, taken from the guide-book point of view, and in figure to artificial compositions, reminding one of an amateur theatrical performance, so long will his work be destitute of artistic qualities, and therefore valueless, but-if he brings to his work a genuine appreciation of the picturesque in landscape and figure, and a knowledge of how so to place a subject on his plate as to convey his impressions to others, he may produce most beautiful and meritorious results. He must learn, as the painter has to do, to distinguish what in nature is really suitable for pictorial purposes, on account of beauty of form, or tone, from what merely gives him pleasure by some quality which, however impressive in nature, it is not possible to transfer to canvas. A picture being a design enclosed by four straight lines, can only please and impress by certain suitable decorative qualities in the subject. To know what will make a picture is one of the most difficult secrets in landscape art; knowing just how much of a scene to take in, where to begin and where to end, decides whether the result will carry a distinct and complete impression, or be merely a haphazard study."