Portræt af Nadar

Your Guide to the 100 Most Famous Nadar Paintings

Opdateret oktober 2026 · rangeret efter vores popularitetsscore (søgninger, besøg og ordrer for hvert værk) · 261 værker af Nadar i vores katalog

In short

Nadar's best-known piece is Alexandre Dumas père (1802-1870) (1855). You'll find it at the Cleveland Museum of Art in Cleveland. Next on the list are Sarah Bernhardt (1864) and [Sarah Bernhardt as the Empress Theodora in Sardou (1889). We have 261 works by Nadar in our catalogue; this guide picks out the 100 best known, with the year, the museum and the story of each piece.

1820 – 1910, Rue Saint-Honoré Pictorialism Flest værker: J. Paul Getty Museum

The 10 Nadar paintings to know first

1
Alexandre Dumas père (1802-1870) (1855) af Nadar

Alexandre Dumas père (1802-1870)

1855 · Black and White Photography · Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland

This arresting black and white portrait offers us an intimate encounter with Alexandre Dumas père, the celebrated author whose pen spun tales of adventure and romance across Europe. Taken in 1855 by the masterful lens of Nadar, this photograph transcends a mere likeness; it is a carefully preserved moment of intellectual repose. The composition centers on Dumas’s upper torso, presenting him with an air that is both formal for its…

2
Sarah Bernhardt (1864) af Nadar

Sarah Bernhardt

1864 · Acrylic On Canvas · J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

Félix Nadar’s “Sarah Bernhardt,” captured in 1864, transcends the conventional portrait and becomes a profound study of presence—a frozen moment of theatrical intensity. More than simply a likeness, it's an intimate revelation of the legendary actress herself, radiating both vulnerability and formidable strength. The photograph, executed with the meticulous precision characteristic of Nadar’s work, offers a rare glimpse into Bernhardt’s carefully constructed stage persona, yet simultaneously hints at the woman…

3
[Sarah Bernhardt as the Empress Theodora in Sardou (1889) af Nadar

[Sarah Bernhardt as the Empress Theodora in Sardou

1889 · Acrylic On Canvas · J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

Gaspard Félix Tournachon's photograph, "Sarah Bernhardt as the Empress Theodora in Sardou’s ‘Theodora’," transcends a simple portrait; it’s a frozen moment of theatrical power and profound emotional resonance. Executed in 1889, this albumen print captures the legendary actress at the height of her career, embodying the formidable figure of Byzantine empress Theodora within Victorien Sardou's dramatic play. Tournachon, already a master of capturing fleeting expressions and atmospheric detail, here utilizes…

4
Paul and His Dog (1865) af Nadar

Paul and His Dog

1865 · Black and White Photography · J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles

In the quiet, silvered depths of Gaspard Félix Tournachon’s 1865 masterpiece, “Paul and His Dog,” we encounter a scene that transcends the boundaries of mere photography to become a profound meditation on the human condition. Captured during a period of immense historical upheaval, this work serves as an intimate window into a moment of stillness amidst the encro

5
Égouts De Paris (1861) af Nadar

Égouts De Paris

1861 · Black and White Photography

We are looking at Égouts De Paris, a work produced by Nadar in 1861. This photograph captures the subterranean reality of Paris, France, focusing specifically on the city's sewer system. It is a rare glimpse into a space that remained hidden from the public eye during the mid-nineteenth century.

6
Pierrot the Photographer (1854) af Nadar

Pierrot the Photographer

1854 · Acrylic On Canvas · Musée d'Orsay, Paris

Félix Nadar’s “Pierrot the Photographer,” created in 1854, isn't merely a portrait; it’s a meticulously constructed tableau vivant—a staged scene brimming with quiet observation and subtle commentary on the burgeoning world of photography. The image immediately draws the eye to Pierrot, a figure both familiar and unsettlingly modern, holding a camera poised as if capturing not just a likeness but an essence. He embodies the nascent spirit of the photographer…

10
Claude Debussy (1908) af Nadar

Claude Debussy

1908

A Glimpse into Genius: Felix Nadar's Portrait of Claude Debussy This striking vintage photograph captures the renowned composer Claude Debussy in 1908, immortalized by the celebrated photographer Félix Nadar. More than just a likeness, this portrait offers a window into the soul of a musical innovator and reflects the burgeoning field of photography at the turn of the century. The image presents Debussy in a three-quarter view, his gaze directly…

Numbers 11 to 100: more Nadar paintings

11Gustave Doré (1855) af NadarGustave Doré1855 12Charles Baudelaire (1855) af NadarCharles Baudelaire1855 13Alexander Dumas Père (1855) af NadarAlexander Dumas Père1855 14Honoré Daumier (1855) af NadarHonoré Daumier1855 15Jean-Baptiste-Camille Corot (1855) af NadarJean-Baptiste-Camille Corot1855 16Félix Nadar (1854) af NadarFélix Nadar1854 17Pierrot pleading (1854) af NadarPierrot pleading1854 18Gustave Courbet (1850) af NadarGustave Courbet1850 19Charles Deburau, Pierrot listening (1855) af NadarCharles Deburau, Pierrot listening1855 20Gustave Doré (1855) af NadarGustave Doré1855 21Charles Baudelaire (1855) af NadarCharles Baudelaire1855 22Pierrot Climbing Through a Window (1854) af NadarPierrot Climbing Through a Window1854 23Félix Nadar Indian like (1863) af NadarFélix Nadar Indian like1863 24Sarah Bernhardt in the Role of Junie in "Britannicus" by Jean Racine (1860) af NadarSarah Bernhardt in the Role of Junie in "Britannicus" by Jean Racine1860 25Michail Bakunin (1860) af NadarMichail Bakunin1860 26Mikhail Bakunin (1860) af NadarMikhail Bakunin1860 27Catacombes De Paris (1861) af NadarCatacombes De Paris1861 28Catacombes De Paris (1861) af NadarCatacombes De Paris1861 29Égouts De Paris (1861) af NadarÉgouts De Paris1861 30Théophile Gautier (1857) af NadarThéophile Gautier1857 31Catacombes De Paris (1861) af NadarCatacombes De Paris1861 32Paul Nadar (1862) af NadarPaul Nadar1862 33Catacombes De Paris (1861) af NadarCatacombes De Paris1861 34Catacombes De Paris (1861) af NadarCatacombes De Paris1861 35Égouts De Paris (1861) af NadarÉgouts De Paris1861 36Catacombes De Paris (1861) af NadarCatacombes De Paris1861 37Self-Portrait (1860) af NadarSelf-Portrait1860 38Égouts De Paris (1861) af NadarÉgouts De Paris1861 · Julius Böhler AG 39Catacombes De Paris (1861) af NadarCatacombes De Paris1861 40Catacombes De Paris (1861) af NadarCatacombes De Paris1861 41Hermaphrodite (1860) af NadarHermaphrodite1860 42Égouts De Paris (1861) af NadarÉgouts De Paris1861 43Self Portrait (1860) af NadarSelf Portrait1860 44Mikhail Bakunin in the Middle of His Career (1860) af NadarMikhail Bakunin in the Middle of His Career1860 45Égouts De Paris (1861) af NadarÉgouts De Paris1861 46Égouts De Paris (1861) af NadarÉgouts De Paris1861 47Catacombes De Paris (1861) af NadarCatacombes De Paris1861 48Charles Baudelaire (1862) af NadarCharles Baudelaire1862 49Hermaphrodite (1860) af NadarHermaphrodite1860 50Hermaphrodite (1860) af NadarHermaphrodite1860 51Nadar Lying On A Bench With A Cat (1860) af NadarNadar Lying On A Bench With A Cat1860 52Gustave Courbet (1860) af NadarGustave Courbet1860 53Self Portrait in American Indian Costume (1863) af NadarSelf Portrait in American Indian Costume1863 54Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1860) af NadarPierre-Joseph Proudhon1860 55Gustave Courbet (1860) af NadarGustave Courbet1860 56Seated Model, Partially Draped (1859) af NadarSeated Model, Partially Draped1859 57Gioacchino Rossini (1857) af NadarGioacchino Rossini1857 58Gioacchino Rossini (1856) af NadarGioacchino Rossini1856 59Gustave Doré (1867) af NadarGustave Doré1867 60Sarah Bernhardt (1865) af NadarSarah Bernhardt1865 61Alphonse Daudet (1866) af NadarAlphonse Daudet1866 62Edouard Manet (1867) af NadarEdouard Manet1867 63George Sand (1870) af NadarGeorge Sand1870 64Victor Hugo (1870) af NadarVictor Hugo1870 65Victor Hugo (1870) af NadarVictor Hugo1870 66George Sand (1864) af NadarGeorge Sand1864 67Gustave Flaubert (1869) af NadarGustave Flaubert1869 68George Sand (1870) af NadarGeorge Sand1870 69George Sand (1864) af NadarGeorge Sand1864 70George Sand (1865) af NadarGeorge Sand1865 71Pierre-Joseph Proudhon (1865) af NadarPierre-Joseph Proudhon1865 72Duchesse Marguerita De Madrid (1877) af NadarDuchesse Marguerita De Madrid1877 73Duchesse Marguerita De Madrid (1877) af NadarDuchesse Marguerita De Madrid1877 74Duchesse Marguerita De Madrid (1878) af NadarDuchesse Marguerita De Madrid1878 75Duchesse Marguerita De Madrid (1878) af NadarDuchesse Marguerita De Madrid1878 76Duchesse Marguerita De Madrid (1878) af NadarDuchesse Marguerita De Madrid1878 77Duchesse Marguerita De Madrid (1878) af NadarDuchesse Marguerita De Madrid1878 78La Grande-duchesse De Toscane Et La Duchesse De Madrid (1878) af NadarLa Grande-duchesse De Toscane Et La Duchesse De Madrid1878 79Sarah Bernhardt as Dona Sol in 'Hernani' (1877) af NadarSarah Bernhardt as Dona Sol in 'Hernani'1877 80Carlist Claimant Carlos VII (centre, bearded) with Members of His General Staff and Soldiers During the Third Carlist War, Probably near Tolosa (1875) af NadarCarlist Claimant Carlos VII (centre, bearded) with Members of His General Staff and Soldiers During the Third Carlist War, Probably near Tolosa1875 81Jules Verne (1878) af NadarJules Verne1878 82Edmond De Goncourt (1877) af NadarEdmond De Goncourt1877 83Édouard Manet (1880) af NadarÉdouard Manet1880 84Emile Zola (1885) af NadarEmile Zola1885 85Gustave Doré Photographed at His Deathbed (1883) af NadarGustave Doré Photographed at His Deathbed1883 86Sarah Bernhardt (1880) af NadarSarah Bernhardt1880 87Gustave Doré (1883) af NadarGustave Doré1883 88Honoré Daumier (1884) af NadarHonoré Daumier1884 89Victor Hugo (1885) af NadarVictor Hugo1885 90Sarah Bernhardt as Floria Tosca in Sardou's Play 'La Tosca' ( act 1) (1887) af NadarSarah Bernhardt as Floria Tosca in Sardou's Play 'La Tosca' ( act 1)1887 91Jane Pierny Dans Champignol Au Théâtre Des Nouveautés (1892) af NadarJane Pierny Dans Champignol Au Théâtre Des Nouveautés1892 92Alphonse Daudet (1891) af NadarAlphonse Daudet1891 93Alexander III., With Xenia, Olga, the Tsarevich Nikolaj, Georg, Michael and the Tsarina Marie (1886) af NadarAlexander III., With Xenia, Olga, the Tsarevich Nikolaj, Georg, Michael and the Tsarina Marie1886 94Paul Nadar, Photographie Prise Le 26 Décembre 1888 (1888) af NadarPaul Nadar, Photographie Prise Le 26 Décembre 18881888 95Charles Gounod (1890) af NadarCharles Gounod1890 96Auguste Rodin (1891) af NadarAuguste Rodin1891 97Franz Liszt (1886) af NadarFranz Liszt1886 98Stéphane Mallarmé (1890) af NadarStéphane Mallarmé1890 99Guy De Maupassant (1888) af NadarGuy De Maupassant1888 100Guy De Maupassant (1888) af NadarGuy De Maupassant1888

Nadar's paintings, period by period

What Nadar painted most

The four subjects that come up most often in these pieces, each with its best-known example.

Where you can see Nadar's paintings

De 4 museer, der rummer flest af malerierne på denne side.

Museum By Værker af Nadar Malerier fra denne liste
J. Paul Getty Museum, Los AngelesJ. Paul Getty Museum Los Angeles 3 Sarah Bernhardt, [Sarah Bernhardt as the Empress Theodora in Sardou, Paul and His Dog
Cleveland Museum of Art, ClevelandCleveland Museum of Art Cleveland 1 Alexandre Dumas père (1802-1870)
Musée d'Orsay, ParisMusée d'Orsay Paris 1 Pierrot the Photographer
Julius Böhler AG Starnberg 1 Égouts De Paris

Decade by decade: the best-known Nadar piece of each

Værker per årti

Pick a decade to see its standout piece.

Nadar: quick answers about the paintings

What is Nadar's best-known painting?See the answer

Top of the list is Alexandre Dumas père (1802-1870) (1855), Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland. Right behind it: Sarah Bernhardt (1864) and [Sarah Bernhardt as the Empress Theodora in Sardou (1889).

What age was Nadar when creating Alexandre Dumas père (1802-1870)?See the answer

35 years old. Nadar was born in 1820, and Alexandre Dumas père (1802-1870) dates from 1855.

What are Nadar's top 10 paintings?See the answer

Alexandre Dumas père (1802-1870), Sarah Bernhardt, [Sarah Bernhardt as the Empress Theodora in Sardou, Paul and His Dog, Égouts De Paris, Pierrot the Photographer, portraits François Guizot, portraits Gioacchino Rossini, Eugène Viollet le Duc og Claude Debussy. You'll find the year and the museum of each in the list above.

How many works by Nadar are in your catalogue?See the answer

We have 261 works by Nadar in our catalogue, dated 1850 to 1908.

In which museums can you see Nadar's famous works?See the answer

You'll find most of them in J. Paul Getty Museum (Los Angeles), Cleveland Museum of Art (Cleveland) og Musée d'Orsay (Paris). The museum list above has the full breakdown.

When did Nadar make the most famous pieces?See the answer

In 1860s, more than any other time: 44 of the 100 pieces on this page date from then, Sarah Bernhardt among them.

What are Nadar's first and last famous pieces?See the answer

The earliest piece here is Gustave Courbet (1850); the most recent is Claude Debussy (1908).

Which subjects did Nadar paint most often?See the answer

Photography (13), Portrait (11) og Victorian era (7), out of the 100 pieces on this page.

Which medium shows up most in Nadar's paintings?See the answer

Black and White Photography, used in 3 of the 100 pieces on this page.

What style or movement is Nadar known for?See the answer

Pictorialism, as you can see in the pieces on this page.

Which famous Nadar paintings are at the J. Paul Getty Museum?See the answer

You can see 3 of the pieces on this page at the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, including Sarah Bernhardt, [Sarah Bernhardt as the Empress Theodora in Sardou og Paul and His Dog.

Where can I order a Nadar reproduction?See the answer

Yes. Every painting on this page is available as a hand-painted oil reproduction or a print, in the size that suits you. Just open the painting's page to order.

Nadar's story

Félix Nadar: En pioner inden for fotografi

Tidligt liv og begyndelser

  • Født: Gaspard-Félix Tournachon den 5. april 1820 i Paris (selvom nogle kilder antyder Lyon).
  • Hans far, Victor Tournachon, var bogtrykker og boghandler.
  • Studerede oprindeligt medicin, men måtte opgive det på grund af økonomiske vanskeligheder efter sin fars død.
  • Nadar, som han senere blev kendt under, begyndte sin karriere som karikaturtegner og romanforfatter, hvor han bidrog til forskellige aviser.

Fra karikatur til fotografi

  • Begyndte at eksperimentere med fotografi omkring 1853.
  • Åbnede sit første fotostudio i 1854 på 113 rue St. Lazare og flyttede senere til 35 Boulevard des Capucines i 1860.
  • Opnåede hurtigt anerkendelse for sine slående og psykologisk indsigtsfulde portrætter.
  • Opgør med konventionerne: Nadar undgik de overdådige baggrunde, der var almindelige i portrætkunsten, og foretrak i stedet naturligt lys og et fokus på den portrætteredes personlighed.

Pioner inden for luftfotografi

  • I 1858 blev Nadar det første menneske, der tog luftfotos ved hjælp af luftballoner.
  • Overvandt tekniske udfordringer relateret til fremkaldelse af fotografiske plader i stor højde ved at opfinde et gasbestandigt bomuldsdække til sine ballonkure.
  • Var også en pioner inden for brug af kunstig belysning i fotografi, især i de parisiske katakomber.
  • Le Géant: Bestilte konstruktionen af en massiv ballon ved navn ”Le Géant” (Kæmpen) i 1863, hvilket inspirerede Jules Vernes *Fem uger i en ballon

Store bedrifter og indflydelse

  • Portrætkunst: Fotograferede adskillige fremtrædende skikkelser, herunder Victor Hugo, Charles Baudelaire, Sarah Bernhard og Gustave Courbet.
  • Etablerede verdens første luftposttjeneste under belejringen af Paris (1870-71) ved hjælp af ballonflyvninger.
  • Vært for den første impressionistiske udstilling i sit studie i 1874, hvilket gav en afgørende platform til fremspirende kunstnere.
  • Udgav det, der anses for at være det første foto-interview i 1886, med kemikeren Michel Eugène Chevreul.

Senere liv og eftermæle

  • Flyttede sit studie til Marseille fra 1895 til 1909.
  • Døde den 20. marts 1910 i Paris og er begravet på Père Lachaise-kirkegården.
  • Hans søn, Paul Nadar, førte studiets drift videre efter hans død.
  • Quand j’étais photographe: Udgav sine erindringer, som reflekterer over hans liv og arbejde og tilbyder værdifuld indsigt i det 19. århundredes fotografi.
  • Historisk betydning: Nadars innovative teknikker og kunstneriske vision havde en dybtgående indvirkning på udviklingen af fotografiet som en kunstform. Hans portrætter forbliver ikoniske repræsentationer af de parisiske intellektuelle og kunstneriske kredse.

Alle 261 værker af Nadar →