Portret van Herman Maurice Cossmann before 1877

This portrait of Herman Maurice Cossmann is part of a lithographic book made by Nadar, a French photographer, caricaturist, journalist, novelist, balloonist, and playwright, in the 19th century. The book page displays a photographic portrait of Cossmann, encircled by an elaborate, hand-drawn lithographic frame. This combination of photographic realism and whimsical drawing immediately engages us. The placement of Cossmann's portrait at the center suggests a focal point around which the playful elements orbit. The caricatures evoke a sense of theatricality and spectacle, hinting at themes of performance and identity. The combination of media reflects broader artistic and philosophical concerns of the period, where new technologies like photography began to intersect with traditional artistic practices. Nadar is challenging the traditional notions of portraiture by blending its realism with artifice, suggesting that identity is both captured and constructed.