Man on a Horse

During 1860-61, Nadar tried his hand at equestrian photography, probably while waiting for the completion of his new, elaborate studio on the Boulevard des Capuchins. In this rare example of the theme, Nadar carefully positioned and lit his subject—an unidentified, elegantly dressed gentleman on horseback—in front of a painted backdrop decorated with a walled garden scene. The two remained motionless just long enough for the wet collodion negative to render a sharply defined image.