This is a really interesting idea I hadn't thought of before. Both modern art and abstract art trace their origins to the mid-1800s, which is contemporaneous w

This is a really interesting idea I hadn't thought of before. Both modern art and abstract art trace their origins to the mid-1800s, which is contemporaneous with the development of photography techniques, but before the popularization of photography in the 1880s. I wonder if the knowledge of photography could have helped spur the development of abstract art, rather than its wide adoption and economic effect. One other thing to consider is that the starving artist predates photography - the "Bohemian artist" archetype was in full effect in Europe ahead of photography's popularization.