Negen portretten van Emma Calvé in theaterkostuums before 1893

Editor: This is fascinating - a collection of nine portraits of Emma Calvé in costume, taken by Nadar sometime before 1893. They are gelatin silver prints on paper. I’m struck by the range of expressions and poses she strikes. What do you see in these portraits? Curator: Beyond the immediately apparent theatricality, I see a careful curation of self, an understanding of how to project specific archetypes. Calvé, guided by Nadar’s lens, seems to be tapping into a cultural memory bank of female representation. Notice how each costume, each pose, evokes a distinct persona—the demure maiden, the worldly courtesan, the tragic heroine. Editor: So you see these not just as photographs, but almost as a visual library of female archetypes? Curator: Precisely! These portraits invite us to consider how we interpret character through constructed images. What stories do these costumes tell us? Are these representations drawn from theatre alone, or do they reflect broader cultural narratives of the late 19th century? How does Nadar, the photographer, help to craft these symbolic roles? Editor: That's a much richer interpretation than I initially had. It’s interesting how what seems like a straightforward portrait series becomes layered with potential meanings and cultural associations. I’ll never look at another portrait the same way again! Curator: Indeed. The power of the image lies not just in what it depicts, but in what it evokes within the viewer's own store of cultural knowledge.