Up close and beautiful: Karl Blossfeldt's plants at the Whitechapel – in pictures
Blossfeldt's unique, influential photographic plant portraits were shot with homemade cameras in the period between art nouveau and the birth of Modernism. His fusion of scientific observation and surreal composition ushered in new approaches to both modern art and photography. A major exhibition of 80 of his silver gelatin prints, at the Whitechapel Gallery in London, runs until 14 June