[Aimé] Millet

Nadar inscribed the reverse side of this print with the name "Mille," probably an incomplete transcription of the name Millet. The sitter is thought to be the sculptor Aimé Millet, about thirty-seven at this time and poised on the brink of his first great success.

Nadar placed Millet in a dynamic pose, his body turned away from the camera to the right and his head twisted back over his shoulder to the left. Both the set of his mouth and his forceful gaze indicate strength of purpose tempered by benevolence; the intensity and energy in this refined figure accord with contemporary descriptions of Millet. As often in Nadar's portraits, the white of the sitter's collar sets off the head from the somber tones of the clothing--in this case, a loose-fitting corduroy jacket. The cuff echoes the collar's white, but the sculptor's talented hands are not visible.