Pierrot Surprised
Nadar (Gaspard-Félix Tournachon)
French, 1820–1910
Adrien Tournachon
French, 1825–1903
1854-55
An albumen silver print photograph of a stage performer costumed as Pierrot, made to freeze and share the actor’s exaggerated expression and theatrical attire beyond the theater.
The image hits you with a pale, billowing costume studded with oversized buttons and a starkly lit face caught in a surprised ‘O,’ the flat backdrop and hard shadow flattening the figure into something both comical and uncanny.
An early example of theatrical photography, it shows how mid‑19th‑century cameras were used to document performance, study expressive gesture, and circulate stage imagery to new audiences.
Medium
Albumen silver print
Dimensions
11 1/4 × 8 3/16" (28.6 × 20.8 cm)
Classification
Department
Credit
Suzanne Winsberg Collection. Gift of Suzanne Winsberg
Accession
549.2009
Palette
Exhibitions
