The Writer George Sand, 1864

About the Work

Nadar, whose career began as a journalist and caricaturist, reached great fame as portrait photographer. Almost all illustrious personalities came to his Paris studio to be portrayed. Striving for a psychologising photo, he steered clear of props and relied on virtuoso lighting instead. He shows George Sand, the grande dame of romantic literature, in a contemplative pose. The sublime impression is the result of her lavish gown, which lends the writer a pyramid-shape. The lightly retouched soft and smooth profile protrudes at its pinnacle.