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Nadar Raising Photography to the Height of ArtNadar Raising Photography to the Height of Art © The Stapleton Collection/The Bridgeman Art Library

Nadar Raising Photography to the Height of Art

Honoré Daumier. 1862 C.E. Lithograph.

Curator Note

"A satirical lithograph mocking the pretension of photography claiming to be "high art." Daumier depicts the famous photographer Nadar in his hot air balloon, taking aerial photos of Paris. It puns on "raising" (elevation) and the debate over whether a mechanical process can be art."

Form

  • Lithograph (print made from stone).
  • Caricature style: exaggerated features.
  • Dynamic line and shading.
  • Black and white (intended for mass print).
  • Text is integral to the humor.

Function

  • To satirize the hype around photography.
  • To comment on the surveillance aspect of aerial photography.
  • To mock Nadar's self-promotion.
  • To appear in a journal/newspaper.
  • To question the definition of art.

Content

  • Nadar: portrayed as a frantic, clumsy daredevil.
  • The Balloon: "Le Géant" (Nadar's famous balloon).
  • Paris below: every building says "Photographie" (commercialization).
  • Nadar nearly falls out trying to get the shot.
  • The title is sarcastic.

Context

  • A court decision in 1862 declared photography to be art (copyright protection).
  • Nadar was a genius portraitist and balloon enthusiast.
  • Daumier was a famous political cartoonist.
  • Paris was undergoing Haussmannization (renovation).
  • The tension between manual art (drawing) and mechanical art (photo).