Zestien portretten van Cléo de Mérode before 1894

Nadar captured these sixteen portraits of Cléo de Mérode, the stage name of French dancer Cléopâtre Diane de Mérode, sometime between 1895 and 1905. Nadar's portraits capture Cléo as an enigmatic figure, admired, sexualized, and scrutinized for her beauty and talent. Cléo de Mérode rose to fame during the Belle Époque, a period characterized by optimism, peace, and new technology. As a ballerina in this era, she had to navigate the male gaze and the era’s prevailing social norms around femininity. Her image was widely disseminated through photographs, postcards, and paintings, contributing to her status as one of the first international celebrities, though she was often reduced to her physical appearance. Nadar's series invites us to consider the complexities of Cléo de Mérode’s identity as a performer and a woman in a rapidly changing world. It reflects not just her personal story but also the broader tensions between public image and private identity, and the societal pressures faced by women in the spotlight.