Etienne Carjat

French, 1828-1906

BiographyEtienne Carjat (1828-1906) was a French caricaturist and photographer who is today highly regarded for his photographic portraits that captured the “spirit of his celebrity subjects” devoid of artifice. After apprenticing as an industrial designer at the Cartier silk factory from 1841-1844 and unsuccessfully pursuing a career in theater, Carjat became a professional caricaturist during the 1850s, a time considered to be the richest period in the history of caricature. Publishing his first series of lithographic caricatures of Parisian actors, Le Théâtre à la ville, in 1854, he soon began contributing illustrations to French journals and newspapers including Le Figaro (1855), Le Diogène (1856) and Le Gaulois (1858). Much like his friend and colleague, Nadar (1820-1910), Carjat’s photographic practice relied upon his bringing to it many of the same skills that he practiced as a caricaturist, particularly his talent for capturing his subject’s essence through his depiction of their physiognomies. After apprenticing with the photographer Pierre Petit (1832-1909) in 1858, Carjat opened his own portrait studio in Paris in 1861. He brought to his portraits the key components that made his caricatures successful- a simple, unadorned composition that relied upon natural poses to allow the viewer to concentrate on the subject’s face and expression instead of the use of elaborate props and settings. His ability to identify and accentuate these features brought both his photographs and caricatures public acclaim. Carjat advertised his photographic services primarily to a literary and artistic clientele with whom he associated, including the well-known composer Gioachino Rossini and Emile Zola.

Though he struggled financially throughout his career, Carjat regularly exhibited his insightful portraits during the 1860s, winning an honorable mention at the London 1862 International Exhibition and a bronze medal at the 1867 Paris Universal Exhibition. Several of Carjat’s portraits were also published in Galerie Contemporaine (1876-1884), a French publication illustrated with woodburytype photographs that focused on the celebrity figures of the day. Although best remembered as a photographer, Carjat continued to draw caricatures for the popular press, write poems, and edit journals throughout his life.

Solo exhibitions of his work have been held at the Musée Nicéphore Niépce, Ville de Chalon-Sur-Saone (1980); Musée Carnavalet, Paris (1982); and Galerie A L’Image Du Grenier Sur L’Eau, Paris (1990). His images can be found in the collections of the Musée d’Orsay, Paris; Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris; National Portrait Gallery, London; Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY; Museum of Modern Art, NY; National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa; J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles; Art Institute of Chicago; and the Kemper Art Museum, St. Louis, among many others.

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