Museo del Prado exhibition examines photography's impact on 19th-20th century artistic identity

Museo del Prado has launched an exhibition exploring how photography fundamentally altered artistic identity during photography's emergence in the 19th century. Titled 'The artist's universe before the camera,' the presentation spans the second half of the 19th century through early 20th century decades. Rather than concentrating on completed artworks, the show provides behind-the-scenes access through portraits, studio views, and process documentation. These images capture artists at work, during rest periods, and in self-reflective moments, revealing intimate aspects of creative practice. Photography's ability to record reality with unprecedented precision was quickly adopted by artists for self-portraiture and peer documentation. The exhibition demonstrates how this new medium transformed both public perception of artists and their own self-presentation strategies. Visitors encounter a compelling journey through an era when photographic technology was rapidly reshaping artistic conventions.