Black and white
Save your search and find it in your favorites
Save your search to find it quickly
Saved search
Your search is accessible from the favorites tab > My favorite searches
Unsaved search
A problem occurred
Tiepolo 2 (La Barque)
Lorenzo Mattotti
Print - 75 x 106.5 x 0.1 cm Print - 29.5 x 41.9 x 0 inch
£356
Manifest 2
Margaret Neill
Fine Art Drawings - 53.34 x 101.6 cm Fine Art Drawings - 21 x 40 inch
£1,950
Le chemin dans la montagne
François Lork
Print - 29.7 x 21 x 1 cm Print - 11.7 x 8.3 x 0.4 inch
£240
Marguerite Duras
Arnaud Baumann
Photography - 80 x 80 x 0.1 cm Photography - 31.5 x 31.5 x 0 inch
£2,581
Barman danseur
Arnaud Baumann
Photography - 120 x 80 x 0.1 cm Photography - 47.2 x 31.5 x 0 inch
£2,581
Baiser noir et blanc
Arnaud Baumann
Photography - 120 x 80 x 0.1 cm Photography - 47.2 x 31.5 x 0 inch
£2,581
Karl Largerfield soirée Kenzo
Arnaud Baumann
Photography - 80 x 120 x 0.1 cm Photography - 31.5 x 47.2 x 0 inch
£2,581
Senza titolo
Elio Marcucci
Fine Art Drawings - 30 x 20 x 1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 11.8 x 7.9 x 0.4 inch
£267
Miguel y la Rosa Three
Ricky Cohete
Photography - 152.4 x 101.6 x 0.3 cm Photography - 60 x 40 x 0.1 inch
£5,329
Miguel y la Rosa
Ricky Cohete
Photography - 152.4 x 101.6 x 0.3 cm Photography - 60 x 40 x 0.1 inch
£5,329
Woman with lute ( Ervina Kupferova )
Frantisek Drtikol
Photography - 11 x 7 cm Photography - 4.3 x 2.8 inch
£623
Cabinet of Souls (Armoire à Âmes)
Laura Makabresku
Photography - 20 x 20 cm Photography - 7.9 x 7.9 inch
£289
Antonio Banderas. Photograph intervened by the artists.
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 107 x 83 x 0.3 cm Photography - 42.1 x 32.7 x 0.1 inch
£4,099
Jamie Dornan, B&W Portrait intervened by the artists
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 107 x 83 x 0.3 cm Photography - 42.1 x 32.7 x 0.1 inch
£4,099
Untitled III. Photography intervened by the artists.
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 107 x 83 x 0.3 cm Photography - 42.1 x 32.7 x 0.1 inch
£4,099
Rossy de Palma. Photograph intervened by the artists.
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 107 x 83 x 0.3 cm Photography - 42.1 x 32.7 x 0.1 inch
£4,099
Notre-Dame de Paris
Anne-Marie Toporkoff
Photography - 18 x 30 x 0.2 cm Photography - 7.1 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch
£703
Les ponts de la Seine
Anne-Marie Toporkoff
Photography - 31 x 18.5 cm Photography - 12.2 x 7.3 inch
£703
Tulipes en black and white
Anne-Marie Toporkoff
Photography - 20 x 30 x 0.2 cm Photography - 7.9 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch
£703
Bouquet blanc
Anne-Marie Toporkoff
Photography - 21 x 33 x 0.2 cm Photography - 8.3 x 13 x 0.1 inch
£703
À travers l'horloge
Anne-Marie Toporkoff
Photography - 20 x 30 x 0.2 cm Photography - 7.9 x 11.8 x 0.1 inch
£703
Poisson d'argent
Anne-Marie Toporkoff
Photography - 57 x 38 x 0.2 cm Photography - 22.4 x 15 x 0.1 inch
£1,193
Becs de Perroquets
Anne-Marie Toporkoff
Photography - 36.9 x 24.6 x 0.2 cm Photography - 14.5 x 9.7 x 0.1 inch
£659
Bouquet de Gypsophiles
Anne-Marie Toporkoff
Photography - 40 x 40 x 0.2 cm Photography - 15.7 x 15.7 x 0.1 inch
£881
The school in Storbyn
Miquel Wert
Fine Art Drawings - 89 x 116 cm Fine Art Drawings - 35 x 45.7 inch
£2,759
À la table des grands
Miquel Wert
Fine Art Drawings - 60 x 81 cm Fine Art Drawings - 23.6 x 31.9 inch
£1,914
Escena interior. Solstickan
Miquel Wert
Fine Art Drawings - 81 x 116 x 2 cm Fine Art Drawings - 31.9 x 45.7 x 0.8 inch
£2,225
Bruma Portfolio
Miguel Winograd
Photography - 35.6 x 27.9 x 5.1 cm Photography - 14 x 11 x 2 inch
£2,459
Métamorphose d’un Roi
Chahrazed Fekih
Photography - 12.5 x 18 x 0.2 cm Photography - 4.9 x 7.1 x 0.1 inch
£445
Sous Mac, Niteroï
Carol Aplogan
Photography - 80 x 60 x 0.3 cm Photography - 31.5 x 23.6 x 0.1 inch
£623
An Island in the Air
Urs Lüthi
Photography - 50 x 60 x 0.3 cm Photography - 19.7 x 23.6 x 0.1 inch
£445
An Island in the air
Urs Lüthi
Photography - 50 x 60 x 0.3 cm Photography - 19.7 x 23.6 x 0.1 inch
£445
Grandma divers VIII
Alain Schroeder
Photography - 120 x 80 x 0.1 cm Photography - 47.2 x 31.5 x 0 inch
£2,225
Grandma divers VI
Alain Schroeder
Photography - 120 x 80 x 0.1 cm Photography - 47.2 x 31.5 x 0 inch
£2,225
Grandma divers XV
Alain Schroeder
Photography - 120 x 80 x 0.1 cm Photography - 47.2 x 31.5 x 0 inch
£2,225
Grandma divers XVII
Alain Schroeder
Photography - 120 x 80 x 0.1 cm Photography - 47.2 x 31.5 x 0 inch
£2,225
Fernandel / Paris Match
Walter Carone
Photography - 50 x 75 x 0.1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 29.5 x 0 inch
£1,424
Montand, Signoret / Paris Match
Walter Carone
Photography - 53 x 80 x 0.1 cm Photography - 20.9 x 31.5 x 0 inch
£1,780
Wakako, Photograph intervened by the artists
Hunter & Gatti
Photography - 44.5 x 54.6 x 0.3 cm Photography - 17.5 x 21.5 x 0.1 inch
£2,869
Invitation to Heavens, Slovenia
Nathan Soulez-Larivière
Photography - 90 x 60 cm Photography - 35.4 x 23.6 inch
£445
The Walker and his Mule, Peru
Nathan Soulez-Larivière
Photography - 50.4 x 90 cm Photography - 19.8 x 35.4 inch
£445
The Pontoon, Peru
Nathan Soulez-Larivière
Photography - 60 x 90 cm Photography - 23.6 x 35.4 inch
£445
The call of the air 02, Peru
Nathan Soulez-Larivière
Photography - 60 x 90 cm Photography - 23.6 x 35.4 inch
£445
The call of water
Nathan Soulez-Larivière
Photography - 60 x 90 cm Photography - 23.6 x 35.4 inch
£445
Alcalin B&W, Ballestas Islands, Peru
Nathan Soulez-Larivière
Photography - 60 x 90 cm Photography - 23.6 x 35.4 inch
£445
Une nuit à Malabar
Jean-Pierre Fleury
Photography - 100 x 100 cm Photography - 39.4 x 39.4 inch
£2,189
Tre Archi_02_2021
Serena Zeppilli
Photography - 30 x 45 x 0.1 cm Photography - 11.8 x 17.7 x 0 inch
£534
Untitled 21 (Paris), From the series La Notte, Medium
Arslan Sükan
Photography - 50 x 75 x 0.1 cm Photography - 19.7 x 29.5 x 0 inch
£3,279
La Tour Seegmuller - 2
Jean Valera
Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.6 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0.2 inch
£169
A Boy with a Sled, Winter
Alexander Sviyazov
Sculpture - 45 x 18.3 x 11.5 cm Sculpture - 17.7 x 7.2 x 4.5 inch
£4,005
Caligraff 10
Richard Saint-Amans
Fine Art Drawings - 56 x 76 x 0.1 cm Fine Art Drawings - 22 x 29.9 x 0 inch
£267
Milan, the tramway
Fabien Olart
Photography - 40 x 60 x 0.1 cm Photography - 15.7 x 23.6 x 0 inch
£445
Miles Davis "It's About Time", Fillmore East, NYC, June 18, 1970
Glen Craig
Photography - 45.7 x 104.1 x 5.1 cm Photography - 18 x 41 x 2 inch
£2,910
Sans titre (Un jour, une photo)
Aline Part
Photography - 67 x 50 x 0.2 cm Photography - 26.4 x 19.7 x 0.1 inch
£445
Autoportrait 1972 Hunger Pegof à la cigarette
Florian Hunger-Pegof
Photography - 30 x 40 x 0.5 cm Photography - 11.8 x 15.7 x 0.2 inch
£1,691
Fish Eye Autoportrait
Florian Hunger-Pegof
Photography - 30 x 20 x 0.5 cm Photography - 11.8 x 7.9 x 0.2 inch
£1,691
A Hard-Working Great Egret
Fenqiang Liu Photography
Photography - 76.2 x 76.2 x 0.25 cm Photography - 30 x 30 x 0.1 inch
£623
Wings of the Sky
Fenqiang Liu Photography
Photography - 60.96 x 76.2 x 0.25 cm Photography - 24 x 30 x 0.1 inch
£534
Fluidity of a woman IV
Katya Taneva
Photography - 120 x 80 x 0.2 cm Photography - 47.2 x 31.5 x 0.1 inch
£3,062
Charles Aznavour
Franck Leclerc
Photography - 60 x 50 x 1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch
£614
Arielle Dombasle
Franck Leclerc
Photography - 60 x 50 x 1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch
£614
Benjamin Biolay
Franck Leclerc
Photography - 60 x 50 x 1 cm Photography - 23.6 x 19.7 x 0.4 inch
£614
Black and white
Before the arrival of photography – with the exception of some etchings and lithographs – all the images we consumed were in colour. Quite simply, because no one would ever have thought to do anything else – why paint in black and white when colour was so readily available?
Yet despite this, today many photographers still choose to work in black and white – such as Pauline Théon, Kadir Von Lohuizen or Joh Lowenstein – even though their photos are taken in colour by the camera itself. Is the black and white trend a fleeting effect of fashion, or a symbolic return to the roots of the photography movement? Black and white photography has something that colour photos, despite recent innovations and the extraordinary quality of images today, cannot quite access. The use of black and white lends significant force to the composition: the contrasts, the shadows and the figures all stand out more strongly. People simply feel differently when faced with a colour photo versus a black and white image.
Colour is a distraction of sorts, a disturbance: colour is a nuisance.
And yet, some photographers still prefer colour to black and white, whilst others merge touches of colour with otherwise monochrome compositions. But in the end, all agree that both styles impose a totally different way of looking at a photo: from researching the shot to post production work, when artists develop or retouch the image. The use of colour is therefore something of a process in its own right, relating to two different ways of viewing the world and showing it others. The question, then, is what is being told, and why is it being in the way that it is?
The symbolic value of putting black and white together is a good starting point for reflecting on the fascination that they generate even today. There could not be a more fascinating, more striking ambivalence than when black, the 'colour' of darkness and burnt coal, considered a non-colour, is placed alongside white – representing light, and the result of all the colours merged together.
The problem faced by photographers today is that black and white still carry strong connotations of the past, of an era before the popularisation of colour and its massive cultural recovery amongst the press and photo journalists. In fact, it is rare now that contemporary subjects are photographed in colour, but we still associate black and white images with a retro feel.
So what does contemporary art have to say about it all? Discover Artsper's selection of black and white works: on the border of past and present, of the real and the imaginary… let us guide you!