Among the tenets of the
"aesthetic" or Pictorialist photography was the idea that the subject
and the manner in which it was depicted should be artistic (as defined by
traditional and academic art circles) and not merely a record. In other words,
typical themes for representation would be landscapes, genre scenes, and intimate
portraiture presented in a way that resembles one of the "higher arts"
such as painting or drawing. Popular methods for achieving these effects included
alternative photographic media such as gum bichromate, bromoil, and
oil-transfer printing, which allowed for direct artistic intervention (areas of
the print could actually be painted out during production). With its intimacy
and technique, this charming gum print of Kuhn’s children is representative of
these Pictorialist aesthetics. Kuhn is perhaps best known for his masterly
control of the gum bichromate process, which in its various guises can mimic a
lithograph, a watercolor, or a mezzotint.