Nadar Élevant la Photographie à la Hauteur de l'Art
Original title: Nadar Élevant la Photographie à la Hauteur de l'Art
kurzbeschreibung
Honoré Daumier's 1862 lithograph shows the photographer Nadar in a balloon, looking down at the city with a camera. As a caricature, the print pokes fun at Nadar's famous aerial photographs of Paris while illustrating photography's rise as an art form.
Description
A gentleman in a suit and top hat stands in the basket of a balloon, holding a camera ready. The balloon, which dominates the center of the image, bears the words 'PHOTOGRAPHIE' and 'NADAR'. Behind it stretches a city with buildings and further inscriptions such as 'PHOTOGRAPHIE' and 'PHOTOGRAPHE'. The black-and-white drawing combines realistic details with caricatural features.
Context
The lithograph was published on May 25, 1862, in the satirical magazine 'Le Charivari'. It takes up Nadar's aerial photographs of Paris, which he had made from a balloon in 1858. Daumier, known for his socially critical caricatures, often engaged with current events and technological innovations.
Impact
The scene strikes the viewer as humorous yet appreciative, since it elevates photography as an art form. Precise drawing and ironic exaggeration combine into a lively, almost dramatic image.
Technique
For this print, Daumier used lithography, a printing process in which a drawing is made with greasy chalk on a stone and then printed. This technique allows for fine lines and shading, which stand out clearly in the details of the city and the balloon.
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Source: Metropolitan Museum of Art · Public Domain (CC0 1.0)