Experimental Self-Portraits in Early French Photography

Between 1840 and 1870, a group of French artists experimented with self-portraits, using photography to explore identity, embodiment, and cultural contexts. Jillian Lerner's book examines these portraits, highlighting their tactical importance and their contribution to the history of photography and visual culture.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 178 pages
Publication date: 29 January 2024
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Between 1840 and 1870, a fascinating period in French art history saw the emergence of experimental self-portraits that pushed the boundaries of photography. Renowned artists such as Hippolyte Bayard, Nadar, Duchenne de Boulogne, and Countess de Castiglione took the medium to new heights, showcasing their bodies as living artifacts and iconic attractions. In her book, Jillian Lerner delves into the realm of performative portraits, exploring uncanny transformations of identity and embodiment. She emphasizes the tactical significance of photographic demonstrations, promotions, conversations, and the diverse forms of montage, painted photographs, and captioned specimens. Lerner demonstrates how photographic practices were mobilized in diverse cultural contexts, intertwining with the histories of art, science, publicity, urban spectacle, and private life in nineteenth-century France. By tracing calculated and creative approaches to a new medium, this research not only contributes to an archaeology of the present but also offers historical perspectives on the forces that reshape human perception and social experience. This interdisciplinary study will captivate readers with interests in photography, art, visual culture, and media studies.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 246 x 174 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780367615598