Title
Portrait of Edmond Cottinet (1824-1895), c. 1848-50. Creator: Gustave Le Gray (French, 1820-1884).
Caption
Portrait of Edmond Cottinet (1824-1895), c. 1848-50. A painter by trade, Le Gray took up photography in 1847 and became a master of light-filled landscapes and seascapes. His early portraits depict his social circle of artists and writers, including his friend and neighbor the playwright Cottinet. He is portrayed here as if in a reverie, perhaps composing a new play in his head. This effect is partly created by the low shooting angle and isolation of the subject in a corner between two bare walls, a rare and casual approach for the time. Posing subjects this way would become a standard ploy for the famed 20th-century photographer Irving Penn, although it is highly unlikely he ever saw this work.
Credit line
Photo12/Heritage Images/Heritage Art
Reference
HRM19G00_224
Model release
NA
Property release
NA
License type
Rights managed
Available size
52,0Mb (3,0Mb) / 12,1in x 16,7in / 3638 x 5000 (300dpi)