Artwork Page for Untitled (Portrait of a Man)

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Untitled (Portrait of a Man)

1879

Etienne Carjat

(French, 1828–1906)
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Culture
France
Medium
Photograph on enamel in copper alloy frame with velvet liner
Measurements
Overall: 7.7 x 6.2 cm (3 1/16 x 2 7/16 in.)
Credit Line
John Cook Memorial Fund 2017.8.1
Public Domain
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Location
230 Photography
Print

Description

Celebrated Parisian portrait photographer Etienne Carjat established his reputation through celebrity portraiture but his mainstay was images of middle- and upper-class sitters like this couple, presumably husband and wife. Seeking images more permanent than those made on paper, they paid extra to have their portraits vitrified on enamel. The process yields exquisitely detailed, durable images that appear as fresh as the day they were delivered to the sitters’ hands.
A photograph on enamel depicts a man with a light skin tone from the chest up, facing us with short dark hair and a thick mustache. He wears a dark vest and coat over a white collared shirt with a thin, dark bow tie. The portrait is housed in an oval copper alloy frame featuring a beaded outer edge and a dark blue velvet liner bordering the image against a neutral background.

Untitled (Portrait of a Man)

1879

Etienne Carjat

(French, 1828–1906)
France

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