- 56
# - Baudelaire, Charles--Carjat, Etienne.
Description
- Portrait of Baudelaire by Carjat
Literature
Condition
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."
Catalogue Note
This renowned portrait of the French poet was published posthumously in 1878 in Galerie Contemporaine. The negative was taken in c.1863. The French writer, caricaturist and editor, Etienne Carjat (1828-1906), took up photography part-time in 1855 and opened his first photographic studio in 1861, specialising in portraits. "His portraits of celebrities such as Rossini and Baudelaire are livelier and more intimate than Nadar's and have been undeservedly overshadowed" (Gernsheim). Despite thinking that photography, "by invading the territories of art, has become art's most mortal enemy", Baudelaire was sympathetic to the work of Carjat and Nadar. In fact, he wrote to Carjat about this portrait: "It is not perfect, because such perfection is impossible, but I have rarely seen anything as good."