Mme Crémieux

Nadar, 1856–1857

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Artist: Nadar (French, 1820–1910)
Medium: Salted paper print
Size: Image: 22.2 × 15.9 cm (8 3/4 × 6 1/4 in.)
Culture: French
Museum: J. Paul Getty Museum
Rights: CC0 — no rights reserved

Scholars know little of Madame Crémieux, not even her first name, though her maiden name was Silny. A native of Metz in northeast France, she married the lawyer and politician Adolphe (Isaac-Moïse) Crémieux in 1824. Her personal qualities were such that in 1869 she was described as being "of the greatest distinction." She seems demure if not slightly sad, with a faint smile playing about her lips and her eyes lovingly directed toward her husband, who likely stood nearby as she posed.

Nadar very much admired Crémieux, whose political views often coincided with his own. He also admired Madame Crémieux and the harmonious marriage she and her husband shared, which lasted for more than fifty years and ended with their deaths one month apart in 1880.

Text: J. Paul Getty Trust, CC BY 4.0.