Photography emerged in the 1840s as a way to mechanically and accurately record scenes. Joseph Nicephore Niepce created the first permanent photograph in 1826 with an exposure of eight hours from his window. Louis Daguerre later refined the process, creating clear daguerreotypes using silver-coated copper plates. One of Daguerre's earliest photographs was a still life called "The Artist's Studio." The French photographer Nadar sought to record people and their surroundings truthfully without props or posing in the late 1800s. He is renowned for his natural portraits of famous figures like Charles Baudelaire.

2. Niepce - View From His Window at Gras there is a building on the left, a tree a third in from the left, and a barn immediately in front. The exposure lasted eight hours, so the sun had time to move from east to west, appearing to shine on both sides of the building.

4. The Artists Studio

6. Nadar Nadar said he sought in work “that instant of understanding that puts you in touch with the model - helps you sum him up, guides you to his habits, his ideas, and character and enables you to produce…a really convincing and sympathetic likeness, an intimate portrait.” Nadar self-portrait A caricature of Nadar Sarah Bernhardt (actress)

7. Nadar’s skill in the genre can be seen in the poet Charles Baudelaire (slide), which shows the poet at the height of his career. Nadar’s famous gift for putting his clients at ease by assuming the pose that best expressed his personality. Nadar Nadar placed great emphasis on the importance of the inner psychology of his subjects. His subjects are usually photographed from a three-quarters angle against a plain dark background. Charles Baudelaire Charles Baudelaire - Poet