Artwork Page for Untitled (Nude)

Details / Information for Untitled (Nude)

Untitled (Nude)

1851–1852

Alexis-Louis-Charles-Arthur Gouin

(French, 1855)
Culture
France, 19th century
Medium
stereoscopic daguerreotype, hand-colored, 2/6th plate
Measurements
Image: 6.5 x 5.5 cm (2 9/16 x 2 3/16 in.); Overall: 8.4 x 16.8 cm (3 5/16 x 6 5/8 in.); Matted: 35.6 x 45.7 cm (14 x 18 in.)
Credit Line
Dudley P. Allen Fund 1999.8
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print

Description

A master of commercial portrait photography, Gouin specialized in hand-painted stereoscopic daguerreotypes. Derived from the inventions of Sir Charles Wheatstone (1802-1875) in 1832 and Sir David Brewster (1781-1868) in 1849, the stereoscopic technique produced two almost identical photographic images. When seen simultaneously in a viewing instrument called a stereoscope, the resulting effect was an astonishing illusion of three-dimensional space. This rare example comes from an important group of nude studies Gouin created in the early 1850s. To create the image, Gouin carefully posed a favorite model--Delphine Herbé, a florist--in his third-floor studio where the bright, natural light would define her body. Drapery was used to relieve the monotony of the background and heighten the three-dimensionality of the model's form and echo its contours. Gouin's training as a painter of miniatures is evident in the delicacy of the hand-coloring and in the subtle, naturalistic application of pigment over the polished surface of the plate.
A hand-colored stereoscopic daguerreotype depicts side-by-side images of a nude woman with light skin tone, looking out at us while leaning against a dark wooden post with her body angled toward our right. Her brown hair is styled in ringlets, and her cheeks and lips are tinted pink. She wears a pearl necklace and a sheer white veil draped over her arms. Behind her to our left, a blue curtain hangs.

Untitled (Nude)

1851–1852

Alexis-Louis-Charles-Arthur Gouin

(French, 1855)
France, 19th century

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork