CHARLES NÈGRE
Le Soldat de Marathon, de Cortot
Albumen print, 1859, from a wet-collodion glass negative, 1859
34.7 x 43.3 cm., unmounted
Various (later) pencil annotations on verso
Provenance: Nègre family; Marie-Théarèse and André Jammes
Published: Françoise Heilbrun, Charles Nègre, photographe 1820-1880, Musées Nationaux de France (Paris, 1980), no. 113.
This print is one of a series which Nègre photographed of sculpture groups and views in the Tuileries Gardens of the Louvre in 1859. Nègre had proposed to the Emperor in 1858 a more ambitious project for photographing the chefs d'oeuvre of the entire Louvre. The project which was actually commissioned contemplated 50 heliographic plates of the Tuileries Gardens to be published in an edition of 100 copies. Nègre proceeded to photograph 30 plates which he submitted for approval. (The instant print shows the image-reversal of the carved text on the base of the sculpture and the ruled marginal lines which are the precursors of publication.) The director of the project died before any approval was forthcoming, and the new director did not pursue the project.
Heilbrun states that 15 prints remained with Nègre’s family, the bulk of which, including this one, were acquired by M. et Mme. Jammes and dispersed in their epochal 2002 Paris sale of Nègre material. This is the print reproduced by Heilbrun. The glass plate negative has not been located. The only other print of this image located in any other institutional or private collection is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Gilman Collection). Cortot’s sculpture is now in the Louvre.
Price on Request
Inquiries: mail@mobysnewt.com
Le Soldat de Marathon, de Cortot
Albumen print, 1859, from a wet-collodion glass negative, 1859
34.7 x 43.3 cm., unmounted
Various (later) pencil annotations on verso
Provenance: Nègre family; Marie-Théarèse and André Jammes
Published: Françoise Heilbrun, Charles Nègre, photographe 1820-1880, Musées Nationaux de France (Paris, 1980), no. 113.
This print is one of a series which Nègre photographed of sculpture groups and views in the Tuileries Gardens of the Louvre in 1859. Nègre had proposed to the Emperor in 1858 a more ambitious project for photographing the chefs d'oeuvre of the entire Louvre. The project which was actually commissioned contemplated 50 heliographic plates of the Tuileries Gardens to be published in an edition of 100 copies. Nègre proceeded to photograph 30 plates which he submitted for approval. (The instant print shows the image-reversal of the carved text on the base of the sculpture and the ruled marginal lines which are the precursors of publication.) The director of the project died before any approval was forthcoming, and the new director did not pursue the project.
Heilbrun states that 15 prints remained with Nègre’s family, the bulk of which, including this one, were acquired by M. et Mme. Jammes and dispersed in their epochal 2002 Paris sale of Nègre material. This is the print reproduced by Heilbrun. The glass plate negative has not been located. The only other print of this image located in any other institutional or private collection is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Gilman Collection). Cortot’s sculpture is now in the Louvre.
Price on Request
Inquiries: mail@mobysnewt.com