Pictorialism was a photographic movement of the early 20th century which subscribed to the idea that art photography needs to emulate the painting and etching of the time. Among the methods used for this purpose were soft focus, special filters and lens coatings, heavy manipulation in the darkroom and exotic printing processes. Most of these pictures are black and white or sepia.

A circle of photographers who renounced pictorialism went on to found Group f/64, which espoused the ideal of unmanipulated, or straight photography.

The contemporary portraitist Sally Mann revisited the pictorialist style in her 2003 book What Remains.