[Self-portrait in striped coat]

Nadar, about 1856–1858

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Artist: Nadar (French, 1820–1910)
Medium: Salted paper print
Size: Image: 18.1 × 13.3 cm (7 1/8 × 5 1/4 in.)
Culture: French
Museum: J. Paul Getty Museum
Rights: CC0 — no rights reserved

In this self-portrait, Nadar's myopia makes him appear to be intensely staring at the camera, producing the accurate impression of an unremittingly forceful personality. Suspended on a velvet ribbon, his eyeglasses dangle over one of his wrists. To give an impression of spontaneity, he may have intentionally arranged for them to be visible, because in the process of crossing his arms they would more naturally have fallen between his arm and chest. This photograph has the air of a person trying out an attitude in a mirror, and Nadar may have used a mirror to study its composition. The image's close-up intimacy results from the roughly cut edges, with the head and shoulders filling most of the frame.

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