> back in the day it was a serious occupation for capturing reality, and therefore creativity was taking second stage
Source please.
Source please.
The invention of photography had a major impact on painting. In the decades
after the first photograph was produced in 1829, photographic processes improved
and became more widely practiced, depriving painting of much of its historic
purpose to provide an accurate record of the observable world.
Additionally there is a huge historical precedence for capturing images, basically for money either through being a painter in someone's service, patronage or working for commission. These painters would work and follow the directions of the commissioner, even though they may not have agreed with it. This is one of the reasons for the English "rectangular livestock" paintings.
https://rarehistoricalphotos.com/rectangular-cows/
In dutch there is a word "broodschilder" (literally bread painter) witch means painter who paints for a living (commercial) / hack painter. In history these painters often where seen as doing a craft in the same way a carpenter works with requirements and requests for the picture, make it happen. Often the painters where not even not able to sign their work (for example religious commission).
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Court_painter