Cinema and photography emerged in the 19th century but only came into their own in the 20th. The philosopher Walter Benjamin argued that mechanical reproduction strips a work of art of its “aura” – its unique presence – replacing contemplation with the shock of the image. Montage, rhythm and fragmentation became the language of this new art. This was how Eisenstein, Rodchenko and Vertov constructed their visual worlds.

Yet there was another side to this transformation. As the philosopher Oleg Aronson observed, “Aura becomes visible at the moment of its disappearance.” The fading aristocratic world found a new life in cinema – in the cult of film stars, the radiance of black-and-white imagery and an atmosphere of dreams and wonder.

With the arrival of colour, cinema moved closer to everyday life and became more democratic. Yet black-and-white imagery did not disappear; instead, it acquired a new meaning, becoming a language of experimentation, documentary realism and authenticity. If colour “paints over” reality, black and white reveals it. This is why auteur filmmakers such as German, Pasolini and Godard returned to black and white, seeking to convey a particular sense of reality.