A free virtual exhibition of 15 photographs by Nadar that you can walk through in your browser, on desktop or phone, with nothing to install. The room brings together his portrait of the poet Charles Baudelaire and Pierrot Laughing, made with his brother Adrien, alongside portraits of Alexandre Dumas, Édouard Manet and Gustave Doré.
About Nadar
Nadar was the pseudonym of Gaspard-Félix Tournachon (1820–1910), a French caricaturist, writer, balloonist and one of the great portrait photographers of the nineteenth century. He began as a journalist and caricaturist, and his huge lithograph, the Panthéon Nadar, gathered caricatures of hundreds of celebrated Parisians. In the mid-1850s he turned to photography and opened a studio in Paris, moving in 1860 to the boulevard des Capucines. Writers, painters, musicians and actors sat for him, and his plain backgrounds and natural light brought out character rather than status. Nadar was also an inventor at heart: he took some of the earliest aerial photographs from a balloon, photographed the Paris catacombs by artificial light, and in 1863 launched Le Géant, an enormous passenger balloon. In 1874 the painters later called the Impressionists held their first group exhibition in his former studio.
Highlights in this room
Portrait of Baudelaire
The poet of Les Fleurs du mal looks out with a guarded, intense gaze. Nadar was a friend of Baudelaire and photographed him several times. The portrait captures the restless, uncompromising personality that readers find in his poems.
Pierrot Laughing
The famous mime Charles Deburau poses as Pierrot in a loose white costume, bursting into laughter. Nadar made this series with his brother Adrien, and it shows how photography could capture expression and gesture as well as likeness. It was shown at the Exposition Universelle of 1855.
Alexandre Dumas père
The author of The Three Musketeers fills the frame with his larger-than-life presence. There are no props or painted backdrops, only the sitter, his clothing and the light. It is a classic example of Nadar's direct, psychological approach.
Édouard Manet
Nadar photographed many of the artists of his time, and his portrait of Manet is one of the best-known images of the painter. It was later reproduced in the periodical Galerie contemporaine, which brought portraits of famous figures to a wide public. Seeing it here links Nadar's studio to the birth of modern painting.
How to enjoy the exhibition
- Look at the light. Nadar favored soft daylight from above and to the side. Walk up to a work and notice how it models the face without harsh shadows.
- Compare the processes. Salted paper prints have a soft, matte surface where the image sits in the paper; albumen prints are glossier and sharper, with warm brown tones.
- Spot the woodburytypes. These photomechanical prints, used for Galerie contemporaine, render tones with remarkable smoothness. Click a work to read its label and find out which process was used.
- Focus on hands and clothing. With plain backgrounds, gesture and costume carry the story.
- Imagine the sitting. Early exposures took several seconds, so every steady gaze was held deliberately.
If you enjoy this room, continue to the Édouard Manet virtual exhibition to see the painter Nadar photographed, or the Alfred Stieglitz virtual exhibition for the next chapter of photography as an art.
Create a room like this for your own work
This room was built with Xibit360, the same tool any artist can use. You can light and frame each work individually, set the mood with themes and layouts, exhibit video works alongside still images, and embed the finished room on your own website. A portrait photographer can present a series of sitters together, each with a label naming the person and the process. It is free to start, and upgrades are one-time purchases, with no subscription.
Know an artist who should see this?
If you know a photographer, portraitist or anyone working with historical processes whose work deserves a space like this, send them this page. They can walk through the room above to see what is possible, and picture their own work on the walls.
FAQ
Is the Nadar virtual exhibition free?
Yes. The exhibition is free to visit in your browser, and you can walk through all 15 works at your own pace.
Can I view it on my phone?
Yes. The same walkable space works on desktop and on phone, so you can explore the room wherever you are.
Who are the people in Nadar's portraits?
The room includes portraits of Charles Baudelaire, Alexandre Dumas, Gioachino Rossini, Gustave Doré, Édouard Manet and the architect Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, among others, as well as a portrait of Nadar's wife, Ernestine.