Cleveland Museum of Art

Black Horseman in Front of a Doorway

Date

c. 1855

Medium

salt print from wet collodion negative

Culture

France, 19th century

Department

Photography

Institution

Cleveland Museum of Art

The genre of equestrian portraiture dates back to classical antiquity, but translating it to photography was tricky because of the long exposures required by the early processes. Some examples by Nadar evoke conventions of studio portraiture, such as employing a large painted backdrop to disguise the actual locations, which were probably outdoors. In this slightly earlier photograph, there is no such artifice.

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