About
Nadar, born Gaspard-Félix Tournachon, was a French photographer, caricaturist, journalist, and aeronaut. He opened his first photography studio in 1854 and became the leading portraitist of Parisian literary and artistic circles, photographing Victor Hugo, Charles Baudelaire, George Sand, and others. A pioneer of aerial photography (1858) and artificial light photography (catacombs and sewers of Paris, 1861-1862), he also created the Panthéon Nadar, a lithographic fresco of celebrities. Passionate about ballooning, he commissioned the giant balloon Le Géant (1863) and used carrier pigeons during the Siege of Paris (1870). His studio hosted the first Impressionist exhibition in 1874.
* 1820-04-06 — † 1910-03-20
Major works
- Panthéon Nadar (1854)lithographic fresco
- Quand j'étais photographe (1900)memoirs
Key milestones
- 1854Opens his first photography studio at 113 rue Saint-Lazare in Paris.
- 1858Takes the first aerial photographs from a balloon.
- 1874Hosts the first exhibition of Impressionist painters in his studio.
Themes
Photographic portraitAerial photographyCaricatureBallooningTechnical innovation
Sources: moma.org · getty.edu · npg.org.uk