Portret van Gustave Eiffel before 1891

Curator: Well now, here we have Nadar's portrait of Gustave Eiffel, taken sometime before 1891. What do you make of it? It’s a print made from a daguerreotype, an early form of photography, on paper, which lends it this really fascinating almost ghostly quality. Editor: It definitely has an antiquated feel. There's also a real sense of gravitas. He just *looks* important, peering off into the distance like that. What exactly should I be looking for when examining this work? Curator: I’d encourage you to go beyond merely ‘looking’. Engage with the photograph, Editor! Sense its emotional weight, the intent. Look at the sharp focus of Eiffel's face, then think about the time. Nadar was experimenting, elevating photography to art. Editor: I see what you mean about art. The light feels very deliberate. It almost sculpts his face. How would Nadar capture so much detail with such an early photographic method? Curator: Exactly! You're observing. See how he directs our gaze? Capturing not just Eiffel’s appearance but, arguably, his spirit? Think about how new photography was at that time, it's a very different approach compared to painting a portrait. You're capturing light. What's it tell us about Eiffel? About Nadar's impression of him? Editor: It's more intimate, perhaps? Less staged than a painting, more…real? Curator: Perhaps more “immediate,” raw, authentic? That is what the technology offered artists then. Think how new and potentially scandalous that would have seemed compared to conventional portraiture! Editor: Definitely given me a new appreciation for early photography. Thanks! Curator: Indeed. Seeing old things with new eyes – that’s half the art, wouldn't you agree?