Heading:
Author: Nadar, Félix
Title: Portrait of Louis Figuier
Place Published: Paris
Publisher:Galerie Contemporaine
Date Published: 1876-84
Description:

Mounted Woodburytype. Photograph: 23.8x19 cm (9½x7½"); sheet: 34x24.6 cm (13½x9¾"). Matted.

Louis Figuier (1819-1894) was a French scientist and writer. He was the nephew of Pierre-Oscar Figuier and became Professor of chemistry at L'Ecole de pharmacie of Montpellier. An iconic photo from the Galerie Contemporaine (1876-84) by Félix Nadar (1820-1910), a high point in photographic publishing. The series contained Woodburytype portraits of leading figures in France by some of the world's leading photographers.

Each issue of the series comprised a biographical essay and accompanying portrait, reproduced in Woodburytype and printed by Goupil (and for the ?nal volume, a successor ?rm). Published in two concurrent sections or series – a ?rst series "Littérateurs, Musicians, Etc." and a second series "Peintres et Sculpteurs," generally appeared on alternate weeks. The full run amounted to a total of 241 portraits issued in 13 volumes. The photographs differed notably, inasmuch as those in the ?rst series (included in this catalogue) were each represented by a large format, full-page portrait "hors texte" (an image printed on paper of especially high quality) generally 24X18 cm, within an ornamental border. In contrast, the subjects in the second series were represented by smaller portraits, on average 12 x 8 cm., mounted within the text.

Mounting sheet slightly toned with hints of foxing.