Portret van Anna Judic 1878 - 1900

This photograph of Anna Judic was made by Nadar, the pseudonym of Gaspard-Félix Tournachon, in France, likely in the 1860s or 70s. Anna Judic was a well-known comic actress and operetta singer. Nadar's photograph captures her with an informal ease, her head cocked to one side, a slight smile playing on her lips. Nadar, himself a figure of the Parisian Bohemian scene, became famous for his portraits of artists and intellectuals. Photography at this time was still a relatively new medium, and portraiture was largely the domain of the wealthy. Nadar, however, sought to democratize the medium. His portraits, typically simple and unadorned, focused on capturing the personality of the sitter, and in so doing, subtly challenged the conventions of academic portraiture. The study of the social and artistic circles in which Nadar and Judic moved helps us understand the radical shift in cultural values taking place in Paris at this time. Primary sources such as letters, memoirs, and theater reviews can all shed light on the changing role of women in the arts.